What Are The Top 5 Busiest Airports In Australia?

As one of the largest countries in the world in kilometers, its airport network is extensive, with distances to popular tourist destinations such as North America, Europe, and East Asia. Here are the most significant and busiest airports in Australia, which welcome millions of visitors annually.

1. Sydney International Airport

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) dominates as Australia's busiest airport. With more than 40 airlines flying to and from Sydney each week and connecting to popular international routes, the New South Wales capital has maintained its top spot since the 1980s. In 2018, the airport handled 44.4 million international arrivals and departures.

Top airlines flying from Sydney include Qantas (operating to 59 destinations), Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Regional Express (REX), Air New Zealand, Fly Pelican, Vietnam Airlines, United Airlines, and Emirates. Most routes to Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast are in the domestic market. Its top international routes are Singapore, Auckland, Fiji, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Kuala Lumpur. However, Sydney's reign could be threatened in 2026 when Western Sydney International Airport opens.

Sydney International Airport

2. Brisbane Airport

For decades, Brisbane Airport (BNE) has maintained its position as the third-busiest hub in Australia, but it now occupies second place and leads in terms of airports recovering from the pandemic. Nearly 30 airlines fly to and from Brisbane, with popular domestic routes to Sydney, Melbourne, and Cairns. Brisbane's top routes are international: Singapore, Auckland, Port Moresby, Los Angeles, and Dubai. Brisbane Airport also provides access to some of the most popular tourist destinations, such as the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, and Whitsundays.

In 2019, the airport welcomed 23.8 million domestic and foreign passengers. Its main airlines are Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Fly Corporate, REX, Air New Zealand, Alliance Airlines, China Airlines, and Air Vanuatu. In 2021, the airport surpassed Sydney's domestic passenger traffic. The Queensland-based airport saw 7.31 million movements, more than Sydney Airport. Brisbane's success is not surprising, as it is known as the best-connected domestic airport, offering more city pairs than any other airport in Australia.

3. Melbourne Airport

Although Melbourne has consistently been the second-busiest airport in Australia for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic has plagued operations, now putting it in third place. Victoria Airport is under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world for months in 2020 and 2021.

Melbourne Airport

In 2019, the airport had just over 37 million passengers, a number that fell to 6 million in the first half of 2021. However, the airport has seen growth of nearly 130% this year, after reporting nearly 15 million passengers. Melbourne operates 30 airlines inside and outside the hub, including Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, REX, Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, Xiamen Airlines, Sri Lankan Airlines, and United Airlines. While its domestic routes are similar to those of Sydney and Brisbane, Melbourne operates a large number of flights to Doha, Qatar.

4. Perth Airport

Western Australia's Perth Airport (PER) is fourth on the list, with operations at a much lower capacity than the top three. More than 20 airlines fly to and from Perth, including leading international airlines from Asia-Pacific countries.

In 2019, the airport welcomed more than 12 million passengers. This has dropped dramatically to just 3.4 million, and the airport has reported just over 5 million movements in 2021. However, Perth still has a large number of passengers wanting to travel to other parts of Australia, as there are no major cities nearby. Its most popular domestic routes are Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, and it operates regular flights to Indonesia, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, London Heathrow, and Doha. Perth Airport also benefits from the popular Italian destination of Qantas: Sydney-Perth-Rome.

5. Adelaide Airport

Adelaide is Australia's first medium-sized Airport (ADL), featuring eleven airlines operating to and from central South Australia, including Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Fiji Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Air New Zealand (along with Australian airlines). In 2019, the airport reported 8 million passenger movements, which dropped significantly to almost 3 million by the second half of 2021. However, Adelaide has registered a growth rate of 52% this year.

Adelaide Airport

Although it is an international airport, it operates limited overseas services to Singapore, Doha, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Customers traveling from Qatar will typically fly to more significant hubs in Australia.

Airports in Australia are still operating at full capacity to welcome millions of visitors. If you love to explore and enjoy immersing yourself in a unique culture, then register for a tour to Australia right away! GTrip offers you many options, with very professional support.