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Australia has seen its busiest Christmas travel period in five years, according to newly-released figures from Airservices.
Overall passenger numbers grew by 4.5 per cent year on year in December 2025, Airservices said in its Australian Aviation Network Overview report for the month, driven by holiday travel and major events like the Ashes as well as Lady Gaga and AC/DC concerts.
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“Record flight activity, passenger volumes and load factors reflected sustained leisure-driven demand and favourable economic conditions, reinforcing the sector’s growth momentum,” the report read.
“On 18 December, the network recorded 2,872 daily passenger flights, including 100 more flights than the busiest day in December 2024.
“During the month, international connectivity also expanded significantly, with over 10 global carriers introducing new routes and services, highlighting Australia’s critical role in supporting tourism and trade.
“The Australian aviation sector is experiencing resilient growth, supported by low unemployment, sustained private consumption and moderating inflation, despite mixed global economic conditions. However, capacity and supply chain constraints and geopolitical uncertainty remain key risks.”
Airservices said the structure of Australia’s domestic airline network is also evolving, while international growth is being bolstered by demand from Asia and the Middle East.
“Compared to the pre-pandemic hub-and-spoke model, strong east-coast corridors are now complemented by expanded point-to-point services, particularly direct capital-to-regional routes, east-west links and coastal tourism gateways,” the report read.
“December 2025 saw strong ramp-up in capacity and demand from the Asia Pacific and Middle East markets, benefiting not only the major hubs but also secondary gateways such as Adelaide and Darwin. This is consistent with the global trend where international travel growth is being led by these two regions.
“Growth this month has been supported by major network carriers expanding services across China, Malaysia, New Zealand, Japan and United States. This reflects seasonal strength in short and medium-haul travel and recovery in key long-haul markets.”
According to the report, despite “more frequent weather disruptions” over the summer than the previous year, industry on-time performance remained stable at around 70 per cent.
“This outcome reflects strong cross-industry collaboration, including the senior-level industry roundtable forum activated for peak demand and disruption events,” Airservices said.
“It also demonstrates a continued focus on traveller experience supported by schedule buffers, additional operational resources and proactive passenger communication during the peak travel season.”
