Brisbane Airport gears up for bumper travel season

More than three million people are expected to travel through Brisbane Airport these Christmas school holidays, making it the busiest travel period on record. 

The International Terminal is expected to set new records, with international travel up 9 per cent on last year, and more than one million passengers forecast through the terminal. 

 Contributing to the increase: 

• Malaysia Airlines launching five services per week to Kuala Lumpur
• Jetstar launching Australia’s only direct flights to Cebu
• American Airlines operating seven seasonal flights per week to Dallas Fort Worth
• Delta Air Lines flying three seasonal flights per week to Los Angeles
• Cathay Pacific increasing to double daily flights to Hong Kong
• China Eastern Airlines boosting capacity to Shanghai
• China Southern Airlines increasing to double daily to Guangzhou 

The current daily record for the International Terminal is 24,412 passengers, set on 5 January 2020, with this record almost broken last Christmas with 24,164 passengers on 22 December 2024.  These holidays, there will be 12 days where more than 24,000 people are expected to travel, with Saturday 3 January and Sunday 4 January forecast to exceed 26,000 daily passengers.  

In the Domestic Terminal, more than 2.24 million domestic passengers are forecast to fly, up 4 per cent on last year.  

The busiest day at the Domestic Terminal is forecast to be 26 January with 56,700 passengers expected, as people return home from holidays. The all-time record in the Domestic Terminal is 64,200 passengers, set during the 2025 NRL Grand Final weekend.  

“When Brisbane Airport is busy, Queensland is thriving,” said Brisbane Airport Head of Terminal Operations Stacey Pollard.  

“From an influx of overseas visitors to Queenslanders heading off on a well-deserved bucket list adventure, we’re expecting record numbers of passengers in our terminals this festive season. 

“Brisbane Airport will be experiencing high demand these holidays, so we’re asking travellers to pack their patience to help everyone get to their destination smoothly. 

“Traffic around the terminals, parking, check-in, bag drop, security screening and our shops will all be busier than usual, so arriving the normal 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours before an international has never been more important. 

“Brisbane Airport will have additional terminal support staff as well our incredible ambassadors on hand to assist people. There is still a significant amount of construction taking place, with our security screening upgrades nearing completion by Christmas. 

“With lots of people on the move, our popular Brisbane Airport therapy dogs and puppies will be lending a paw to provide a calm distraction, and you might even spot an elf roaming around too.”  

Forecast holiday passenger numbers 

Tips to ensure smooth travel during the busy holiday period: 

• Passengers should continue to arrive the normal 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours before an international service
• Book parking ahead of time to secure your spot
• Don’t take bon bons (Christmas crackers) in your carry-on, buy them at your destination
• Don’t take wrapped gifts through security screening, in case the items need to be checked
• Be aware that other festive items like party poppers and sparklers are generally not allowed on planes. 

Brisbane Airport has direct flights to 35 international destinations and is Australia’s most connected domestic airport, flying to 62 destinations.   

For more information contact Brisbane Airport’s 24/7 media hotline: 0466 322 485