December capped a standout year for Melbourne Airport, with passenger volumes climbing to the highest monthly total on record.
According to the hub, more than 3.42 million passengers passed through its terminals in December, a 5.4 per cent year-on-year increase.
This included record international traffic, with 5,596 services carrying 1,222,570 million travellers, a 6.5 per cent y-o-y rise.
This lift was partly due to the arrival of a host of new international operators, including Delta Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines, who all touched down in Tullamarine for the first time.
Not to be outdone, domestic travel also grew 4.9 per cent to 2,198,625 during the month, with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar adding more than 1,000 extra flights compared to December 2024.
Six-month report
Zooming out, Melbourne Airport’s half-yearly report card for the 2025/26 financial year also makes for good reading, with passenger numbers 4.3 per cent higher (to 19,128,424) from July-December 2025 versus the same period in 2024. This includes a 4.9 per cent lift (to 6,271,958) for international and a 4 per cent rise (to 12,856,466) for domestic passenger traffic.
The surge in traffic lands ahead of a new $500 million baggage system designed to reshape the traveller experience, scheduled for March.
Travel transformed
Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the records reinforce the need for long-term infrastructure upgrades, including a third runway planned for 2031.
“December was a huge month for us, with Delta Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines all launching flights to Melbourne Airport for the first time, and Finnair, Air Asia Indonesia and Maldivian Airlines each confirming plans to launch flights to Melbourne in 2026,” Parashos stated.
“This extra capacity is fantastic for consumers but also underscores the need for the investments we are making in our third runway, our terminals and our road network.
“In a few months we will open our new $500 million international baggage system, which will more than double the capacity of our existing system and pave the way for some exciting enhancements for customers.
“Later in the year we will open new and expanded Pick Up and Drop Off zones for passengers using Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which will allow us to start upgrading the international terminal by expanding its footprint into the current arrivals forecourt.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: The numbers tell us confidence is back. For travel advisors, it means more capacity and choice now, balanced against short-term congestion as major airport upgrades play catch-up.
