Hannah Dowling

The Australian Airports Association chief executive James Goodwin said the program will better enable airports to support the government’s reopening strategy.

Frontline staff will have until just 1 November 2021 to receive both doses of their vaccine, while rivals Qantas and Virgin have both given staff until 15 November to receive both jabs.

According to the airport, overall domestic passenger traffic fell to just 25,000 travellers in August 2021, down 72.5 per cent from August 2020, and 98.6 per cent from pre-COVID levels.

A number of senior industry figures have told Australian Aviation they remain in the dark about the key requirements for a mass return of international flights.

Australia is set to welcome rapid antigen COVID-19 testing for at-home use ahead of the planned introduction of home quarantine and the restart of international travel.

Despite reporting its lowest passenger figures since 1994, the numbers placed Brisbane Airport slightly ahead of Sydney’s 7.26 million passengers, and Melbourne’s 5.89 million.