Cairns Airport posted improved passenger numbers in 2014/15 despite flat seat capacity and a reduced number of flights during the year, new figures show.
The North Queensland gateway handled 4.658 million passengers in the 12 months to June 30 2015, up 2.2 per cent from 4.556 million in the prior corresponding period.
The number of international travellers grew two per cent to 515,200, while the number of domestic passengers increased by 3.3 per cent to 3.07 million, Cairns Airport said in a statement.
Transit and transfer passengers between international and domestic services fell 12.8 per cent, or 34,600, to 235,900.
When domestic and transfer passengers were combined, Cairns Airport noted it was the first time more than four million passengers had used its domestic terminal T2 in a 12-month period.
New international routes from Cairns launched in 2014/15 included Silkair’s service to Singapore which took off in May, as well as Jetstar’s Bali flights that began in March.
On the domestic front, Regional Express (Rex) started flying the Queensland government regulated regional air route Cairns-Normanton-Mornington Island-Burketown-Doomadgee-Mount Isa from January 1. The airline also added non-stop service to Mount Isa, Bamaga and Townsville earlier in 2015.
However, the overall number of seats offered at Cairns Airport grew only 1,200 to 6.185 million in 2014/15, while the number of flights operated in the year fell 2.1 per cent to 44,900.
