Interstate and Kiwi fans are…Ready for It – it being the highly anticipated Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour Australia shows in Sydney and Melbourne – with a massive impact on air travel, including 25,400 extra passengers jetting in from Brisbane Airport alone.
The so-called ‘Swift Lift’ in demand has seen major airlines schedule 64 extra passenger flights while some committed concert-goers have even chartered corporate jets to the sold-out Taylor Swift shows in Melbourne and Sydney.
As aircraft charter Monarc Global’s Royce Crown said: “Heading off to the concert in a private jet is the ultimate experience and provides a little taste of the Taylor Swift lifestyle.”
FCTG Global Leisure CEO James Kavanagh confirmed to news.com.au that the Group’s AVMIN charter aircraft company had also received bookings for the Sydney and Melbourne shows.
“Commercial flights and accommodation are at a premium and we’ve even seen some travellers opting for a private charter flight to get to the concert as a result,” he told news.com.au.
“The concerts present a unique situation because, unlike most artists who will play all major cities, she’s only playing two, so fans who aren’t Melbourne- or Sydney-based must factor travel into their plans.”
Kiwi fans flock to Taylor Swift
From 12 February to the last show on 26 February, Flight Centre reports that bookings from New Zealand to Sydney and Melbourne are up 64 per cent on the same period last year.
Similarly, NZ bookings to the two host cities have nearly doubled compared to the fortnight before and after the Taylor Swift – The Eras Tour dates.
Flight Centre NZ Managing Director Victoria Courtney said flights and accommodation are mostly full in both Sydney and Melbourne while Swift is in town.
Queensland Swifties assemble in BNE
Brisbane Airport spokesperson Peter Doherty called the Swift concerts and airport exodus a “mega-event impacting travel patterns across the state”.
BNE has a five per cent surge in passenger bookings between 15 to 19 February for the Melbourne concert dates and between 22 and 27 February for the Sydney events.
Swifties from across Queensland are on the move with around 3,400 fans from Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, and Rockhampton transiting through BNE.
Around 8,500 extra passengers on existing flights will jet off from BNE to Sydney plus an additional 3,900 fans heading to Melbourne.
