Jake Nelson

Last month, Australia saw 21,076 total international flights, up 5 per cent year-on-year and 11.8 per cent month-on-month, while domestic flights declined 2 per cent year-on-year to 91,547, according to Airservices’ Australian Aviation Network Overview report for December 2024.

The Passenger Movement Charge (PMC), which was increased to $70 per passenger as of last July, is added to departing international passengers’ airfares and brought in more than $1.2 billion in revenue for the overnment annually pre-COVID.

The airport is in discussions regarding an expanded international satellite with up to five new wide-body gates, as well as more room for shops, passenger waiting areas and airline lounges.

The low-cost carrier will add more than 140 new evening flights on the route, as well as upgrade more than 170 existing A320-200 services to A321s, increasing capacity by 14 per cent over 2024. In total, Jetstar will offer more than 350,000 Melbourne–Sunshine Coast seats in 2025.

The airport recorded 277,000 passengers last month, up from a pre-COVID-19 December high of 271,154 in 2019.

The low-cost carrier will fly three times per week starting 22 March, adding nearly 1,000 weekly seats on the resumed non-stop service.