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Adelaide Airport saw its busiest-ever week last month thanks in part to a boost from the 2026 AFL Gather Round event.
Almost 200,000 domestic, regional and international passengers passed through Adelaide’s terminals in the week from 7–13 April, with the full month seeing a total of 791,000 people, up 4 per cent on the previous year.
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“This is a fantastic result for Adelaide Airport and our customers. The record was achieved on the back of strong domestic and international growth and demonstrates how major events such as AFL Gather Round provide significant benefits for aviation, tourism and the wider economy,” said Adelaide Airport managing director Brenton Cox.
“It’s all the more remarkable given the significant geopolitical uncertainty and the resultant suspension of Emirates and Qatar Airways services at the time.”
Domestic passenger numbers rose 3.7 per cent year-on-year to 695,000, with SA Premier Peter Malinauskas saying Gather Round “continues to exceed expectations” as a tourism draw.
“These record passenger numbers are further proof of the enormous economic and tourism benefits this magnificent event delivers for South Australia,” he said.
“Thousands upon thousands of interstate visitors travelled to South Australia to experience our state, filling our hotels, supporting local businesses and showcasing Adelaide and regional South Australia to a national audience.
“Our government continues to invest in major events, recognising their role in driving tourism, supporting jobs and promoting South Australia on the national and global stage.”
In a press release, the airport said international passenger numbers “continued to increase, despite the absence of Emirates and Qatar Airways due to issues in the Middle East, and the end of seasonal services to Hong Kong and San Francisco”.
“The result demonstrates the strength of international travel demand. Even accounting for four fewer operational services compared with the start of the year, 97,000 international passengers passed through the airport last month, a 5.8 per cent increase on the year prior,” it said.
“This lifted the moving annual total to 1.25 million passengers to the end of April, an increase of 24.4 per cent on the previous 12-month period.
“The impact of the Middle East conflict on fuel prices continues to create uncertainty to medium term passenger forecasting.
“However, the recent resumption of Emirates flights to Dubai and the planned resumption of Qatar Airways services from mid-June will help support international growth heading into the second half of the year. China Eastern will commence flying to and from Shanghai from June 2026 on a seasonal basis.”
Adelaide Airport hit 9 million annual passengers for the first time in 2025.
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