Milestone day for Brisbane Airport as passenger numbers roar back

Today will be the first day since the pandemic that Brisbane Airport’s International Terminal will see 20,000 passengers in a single day.

Hip Hop Santa performers will greet passengers as they arrive at the airport, just in time for Christmas.

The milestone signifies a resilient stride forward for the airport and Queensland’s tourism industry, showcasing a steadfast return to normal after a time of unprecedented disruption.

Brisbane Airport went from a record 24,641 passengers on 5 January 2020, to zero passengers only four months later on May 4, 2020.

The airport says: “What took 4 months to wind down has taken almost four years to rebuild back to the 20,000 milestone. During the pandemic there were 53 days with less than 100 passengers passing through the International Terminal and 13 days with zero passengers.”

Brisbane Airport CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff, noted: “On those days when there were zero passengers in this terminal it was like the world truly was on pause.

“Today it’s alive with visitors arriving to experience Queensland and Aussies heading off to tick off their bucket lists.”

The International Terminal is expected to see three days of 20,000+ passengers in the next few weeks, today, on Saturday, January 6 and Sunday, January, 7.