Jetstar Soars to Second Place as Brisbane Airport Hits Pre-COVID Passenger Numbers

Jetstar has ascended to become the second largest international carrier at Brisbane Airport, which has now reached 95% of its total pre-COVID passenger numbers. The low-cost airline now trails only Qantas, having grown by a staggering 149% internationally in Brisbane over the past year. This growth is largely attributed to a significant increase in flights to Asia and enhanced services to Auckland.

“Queenslanders have embraced Jetstar’s low fares, with all of the new route launches from Brisbane Airport receiving strong support. This has propelled the airline from being Brisbane’s seventh biggest international carrier to number two,” said Ryan Both, Executive General Manager of Aviation at Brisbane Airport.

In the 2024 financial year, Brisbane saw a total of 22.6 million passengers, including 5.6 million international and 17 million domestic passengers. This represents a recovery of 89% and 97% on FY19 levels respectively. “We know more Queenslanders have been ticking off their bucket lists, but importantly we’re also seeing more international tourists visiting the state. That’s good news for the state’s tourism regions from the Gold Coast to Tropical North Queensland and the Outback,” Both added.

Brisbane now offers flights to 32 international destinations, just one shy of its pre-COVID high of 33. Major US carriers American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are planning direct flights to Brisbane this year, joining United, Air Canada, and Qantas in trans-Pacific services. “We are eagerly looking forward to the launch of American Airlines direct from Dallas and Delta from Los Angeles,” said Both. “By the end of the year there will be five major carriers serving the North American market, providing a historic level of options and competition across the Pacific.”

Last June, Jetstar announced a major increase in its international services out of Brisbane, including shifting its Tokyo (Narita) service from the Gold Coast, commencing new direct flights from Brisbane to Osaka and Seoul (Incheon), and increasing the frequency of its existing flights to Bali and Auckland. Steph Tully, CEO of Jetstar, thanked the Queensland government and Brisbane Airport for their support via the state’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund (AAIF). “The new partnership with Brisbane Airport has unlocked about half a million new seats between Brisbane and some of the most popular international destinations on our network,” Tully said.

Jetstar also recently announced plans to launch Brisbane-Bangkok flights by the end of the year, further expanding its international footprint and bringing even more tourists to the sunshine state from Japan, South Korea, and across the Tasman.