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Adelaide Airport is seeing record freight levels, the South Australian government says, as its route network continues to expand.
Around $351.1 million worth of goods left South Australia in the bellies of aircraft over the past year, according to the first release of ABS export stats for 2026, with lobster exports alone tripling year on year to a record $137.3 million over the last 12 months.
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It follows an aggressive push by Adelaide Airport and the state government to boost the number of wide-body international flights, including expanding existing services and adding new routes.
“Air freight is the quickest way for our local exporters to reach international markets and it’s even quicker when they can utilise direct international flights rather than having to transit via Sydney or Melbourne,” Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox said.
“We have more international carriers flying to more international destinations than ever before, with more to come, and that means more room in the belly of these aircraft for freight.
“We’re in a great position to facilitate direct market access for local producers, which in turn creates stronger economic growth for South Australia.”
Adelaide is set to have 13 international airlines following the commencement of a China Eastern service in the middle of this year, with carriers like Qatar, Singapore, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Emirates and United all expanding or adding services.
“Wide-bodied passenger jets like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner have a cargo capacity of about 15 tonnes, allowing our products from seafood, dairy and fruit, through to fashion, to get directly into key markets,” the state government said in a press release.
State Trade Minister Joe Szakacs has welcomed the news of “all-time highs” in air freight and lobster exports, saying the SA Government had been working hard to expand Adelaide’s network.
“These achievements don’t happen by accident. They are the result of consistent hard work undertaken by our Government and airport to provide our state’s incredible exporters with access to priority markets in which to sell their world-class products,” he said.
“We’re ahead of where we had projected we would be, but that doesn’t mean we’ll reduce our efforts. We will double down on our efforts, so that we can further connect our state with the world.”
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