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International travel has propelled Perth Airport to a record financial year for traffic in 2025-26.
The airport saw 18,387,992 million passengers in the 2026 financial year, an increase of 5.2 per cent over 2025, with international up 8.1 per cent to 5.55 million passengers, regional up 6.0 per cent to 6.6 million, and interstate passengers up 1.9 per cent to 6.22 million.
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“While much of the public focus has been on our plans for the future, our teams have been working hard to support record numbers of Western Australians travelling through Perth Airport safely, securely and efficiently,” said airport CEO Jason Waters.
“Our Operations, Terminals and Ground Transport teams have done an outstanding job managing this growth while maintaining high standards of service and safety.”
The airport saw a number of new and expanded routes across the financial year, including to Asia, Africa, New Zealand, and the eastern states.
“Key international milestones included China Southern moving to year-round Guangzhou services, Qantas launching Johannesburg and Auckland, ANA increasing Perth–Tokyo to daily flights over the peak northern winter season, and Jetstar launching Perth–Manila,” Perth Airport said in a statement.
“TransNusa also expanded Perth–Bali to double daily, while further frequency growth from Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Air New Zealand and Philippine Airlines added more choice and capacity for Western Australians and inbound visitors.
“Domestically, Qantas’ new services to Newcastle and Hobart further expanded Perth’s direct interstate network.”
According to Waters, the strong travel demand into Perth represents a major boost to Western Australia’s economy.
“Every new direct air service strengthens connectivity, bringing more visitors, business activity and investment into Western Australia, supporting jobs and economic growth across the State,” he said.
“We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the State Government to further grow Australia’s western hub and expand opportunities for Western Australians.
“These strong passenger numbers reinforce the importance of our ambitious redevelopment program as we prepare for continued growth over the coming years.”
It comes as Perth continues its “One Airport” transformation program to centralise all operations within one precinct, which Waters says will create “a more efficient airport, a better travel experience for passengers and significant economic benefits for Western Australia”.
“Delivering major infrastructure projects within a live airport environment inevitably presents challenges, particularly for traffic management,” he said.
“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding as we deliver the infrastructure needed to support Perth’s future growth.”
“These projects will transform Perth Airport and ensure we continue to meet the needs of Western Australians, visitors and businesses for decades to come.”
The airport in September last year released its draft 2026 master plan, which forecast annual passenger numbers to grow from 17.48 million to 30.8 million by 2046, with aircraft movements to grow from 160,800 to 222,800 per year and air freight to reach up to 269,000 tonnes.
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