Brisbane Airport is celebrating the Year of the Horse with 17.4 per cent more Lunar New Year 2026 flights between Queensland and top Asian destinations on the heels of mainland China arrivals to Australia hitting 21 per cent year-on-year growth in 2025.
Lunar New Year is one of the busiest annual travel periods in Asia as millions of travellers head home to visit family for traditional celebrations.
Flight capacity between BNE and major Asian cities, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Taipei, has surged compared to the Lunar New Year period last year.
China Southern Airlines has increased seats by 66.9 per cent, China Eastern Airlines by 39.8 per cent and Cathay Pacific and EVA Air have both upped capacity by 33.3 per cent.
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said Lunar New Year 2026 travel builds on already soaring demand from Chinese travellers with 315,000 annual passengers, up 19 per cent on the same period last year.
BNE is forecast to welcome more than 25 million visitors in the Year of the Horse with connections to 35 international destinations.
“Asia is a key market for Brisbane and we’re seeing ongoing strong visitation. Visitors from China remain Brisbane Airport’s second-largest inbound international market and they’re also among the highest spenders,” he said.
“The Year of the Horse is about momentum; more seats, more flights and more opportunities for travellers to reunite with family and friends and celebrate the season together.”
BNE has officially launched a dedicated WeChat Mini Program to support Chinese travellers before, during and after their journey with customised Mandarin-language content.
The Queensland hub has also rolled out the lucky red carpet for Lunar New Year 2026 with interactive exhibitions, lion dance performances and prize activations at the International Terminal through to 20 February 2026.
For more info, visit bne.com.au
