Brisbane Airport has just set a new benchmark, handling its biggest passenger day in 100 years on Friday – but another event may have eclipsed that milestone for excitement.
A total of 82,779 travellers moved through its domestic and international terminals on 26 September, fuelled by a mix of sport and school holidays. AFL and NRL finals have fans flocking in both directions, while the NSW school holiday period is adding extra volume.
The split shows 60,682 passengers through Brisbane’s domestic terminal and 22,097 through the international terminal.
Already Australia’s most connected domestic hub, Brisbane Airport links to 62 airports at home and 35 overseas. Its five-year, $5 billion Future BNE program continues to expand capacity as demand surges.
“We know when Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is thriving, and the terminals are humming these holidays. In the past year, the markets with the biggest growth in annual passengers have been Japan, New Zealand and mainland China,” said Brisbane Airport spokesperson Peter Doherty.
Lions land
Following the record day, the Brisbane Lions returned home in style on Sunday, touching down at Brisbane Airport after their back-to-back AFL triumph.
Virgin Australia flight VA9002 was met with a dramatic water cannon salute from Airservices’ fire crew, as fans cheered the arrival of the team and the Premiership Cup.
“This is the first of many well-deserved celebrations to come,” Doherty said.
“It’s fantastic to see so many passionate fans at the airport, and to acknowledge the thousands who made the journey to Melbourne to support the team.
“We know some fans have already booked airline tickets to make the journey to the MCG for the 2026 Grand Final, hoping for a three-peat.”
On 5 September, Brisbane Airport celebrated its 30th anniversary. Read about that here.
Sydney surge
Meanwhile, Sydney Airport is preparing for its busiest September school holiday period on record for international travel.
From this week until 12 October, 1.08 million passengers are expected through its T1 international terminal, up 7 per cent on last year.
In total, almost 2.7 million people are forecast to travel through Sydney during the three-week holiday window.
Saturday 27 September is tipped to be the busiest international day with more than 55,000 passengers, while Friday 3 October will lead domestically with close to 90,000 travellers.
Sydney Airport says New Zealand, the United States and China are the strongest international routes this spring, with many passengers also connecting via Singapore to Asia and Europe.
“This is shaping up to be our busiest September holiday period for international travel, and we’re well prepared to welcome 2.7 million passengers across our three terminals,” Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said.
“With international demand stronger than ever, and domestic travel continuing to grow, we’re focused on making sure every journey is smooth.
“We thank passengers for their patience as we deliver major upgrades, from faster security at T1 and T2 and new dining options at T3. O
“Our advice is simple: plan ahead, check in online, and allow plenty of time to get to the airport during the peak.”
