Daily passenger numbers through Melbourne Airport continue to climb, with an average of 90,350 people arriving or departing from the airport each day in April, up from an average 87,469 in March.
Overall, a total of 2,710,505 people used the airport in April which represents an increase of 20% on the corresponding month in 2022.
The 1,936,860 domestic passengers processed in April was down slightly on the previous year, reflecting the impact of higher airfares and restrained airline capacity on traveller demand.
By contrast, international capacity continues to grow and on May 16 Melbourne Airport was excited to welcome Singapore Airlines’ Airbus A380 back to regular service in Victoria.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the return of the A380 represented a significant vote of confidence in the city and state.
“This is the flagship of Singapore Airlines’ fleet, and until recently this aircraft was being used for flights to Frankfurt and New York, so having that capacity diverted to Melbourne is quite a coup,” she said.
“The A380 is a passenger favourite and with space for 471 travellers it has more than 200 extra seats than the Boeing 777 it is replacing on this service.
“Singapore Airlines was one of the few carriers that stuck with Melbourne through the pandemic, and we are pleased to see them reaffirming their commitment to Victoria again today.
“We would hope that as our domestic airlines take delivery of more aircraft, they will add extra capacity to Melbourne to help moderate the cost of airfares.
“Higher airfares are challenging at a time when the cost of living is putting pressure on many household and small business budgets, and the industry needs to keep that front of mind to ensure Australians can afford to keep connected with the rest of the country.“
