February was a good month for international airlines serving Australia, with passenger numbers increasing by 6.7 per cent.
Figures from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) show the 52 international airlines operating to Australia carried 2.652 million passengers into and out of the country in February, up from 2.484 million in the same month a year earlier.
The growth in overseas passenger traffic outpaced the 0.9 per cent increase in capacity, resulting in load factors rising 4.3 percentage points to 81 per cent.
Although Qantas retained its place as Australia’s largest international carrier with 15.2 per cent of all passengers carried into and out of the country, the Flying Kangaroo’s market share was down from 16.1 per cent in February 2014.
Emirates was the largest foreign carrier serving Australia in February with a 9.4 per cent share of all international travellers, followed by Jetstar at 8.8 per cent and Singapore Airlines at 8.4 per cent.
Virgin Australia increased its international market share to 7.2 per cent in February, compared with 6.9 per cent in the prior corresponding period.
The BITRE report said the Qantas group – comprising Qantas, Jetstar and Jetstar Asia – carried 24.6 per cent of all passengers international in February, up 0.2 percentage points from a year earlier.
