Winter escapes boost busy school holiday period at BNE
More than 2.3 million passengers are expected to pass through Brisbane Airport in the upcoming winter school holiday period, between Friday 19 June and Monday 20 July.
Strong demand for international travel, particularly across the Tasman to New Zealand, is set to drive the holiday surge, with families looking for destinations closer to home.
New Zealand remains Brisbane’s top two-way international market, drawing 1.34 million passengers annually in the 12 months to March 2026.*
To support the increased demand, Jetstar’s inaugural flight to Queenstown will take off today from Brisbane, as part of a seasonal service during the winter months.
Air New Zealand will also operate a seasonal service to Queenstown from 22 June, flying three times per week.
Europe remains a highly sought after destination for outbound traffic, with Queenslanders continuing to head overseas in large numbers for a European summer.
The United Kingdom and Europe are key markets for Brisbane, with 1.23 million annual passengers. Almost 1,000 Queenslanders travel to the United Kingdom and Europe daily from Brisbane Airport.*
Emirates recommenced daily flights in May and Qatar has returned with four flights per week, which increased to daily flights from today. China Eastern Airlines has also increased to daily flights from today, offering seamless connections to Europe.
In the 12 months to March 2026, Brisbane Airport was ranked first for non-stop international seat capacity growth, outpacing both Sydney and Melbourne.*
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff expects high demand these holidays, particularly at the International Terminal.
“There is always a real sense of excitement in the terminals during school holidays and we’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of passengers who are travelling for a well-earned break.
“New Zealand is proving incredibly popular with Queenslanders this winter, and there are still plenty of travellers heading away for a European summer too.
"Inbound passengers are also flocking to Queensland for a dose of magnificent sunny winter weather, which is great for tourism operators across the state.
“Traffic around the terminals, parking, check-in, bag drop, our new security lanes 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 remains important.”
Brisbane Airport is now connected to 35 international destinations and 63 domestic destinations, welcomed a record 25 million passengers in 2025, and is investing $5 billion to transform its precinct over the next five years.
*Source: Passenger arrival card data, collated by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
For interviews contact Brisbane Airport's 24/7 media hotline: 0466 322 485.