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International flight capacity takes off beyond pre-pandemic volumes
“International airline capacity out of Australia is currently sitting at 101 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, and it has been hovering around this level since late 2024, when Australia reached full international capacity for the first time since the pandemic,” said Flight Centre Corporate Global COO Melissa Elf.
“We can expect to see the trend continue this year, with levels expected to reach a high of 106 per cent of pre-pandemic capacity by mid-year, but as always, levels will fluctuate to meet seasonal demand.
“We’ve seen Perth become a real leader as an origin point for international capacity, with the airport seeing 121 per cent of pre-pandemic seats available on flights out of the country. It’s followed by Melbourne (102 per cent), Brisbane (101 per cent) and Sydney (98 per cent).
“Destinations across Asia and the Middle East are leading the way with capacity, with the likes of Singapore Airlines and Qatar really investing into adding capacity in and out of Australia, as they recognise the demand from Aussies to travel abroad – both into their home airports, but also as hubs to connect on to the rest of the world.
“Fiji Airways is the quiet achiever that has been growing its fleet and opening up new routes for Aussies travellers, and as a result, has seen Fiji reach pre-pandemic capacity of 134 per cent. It’s quickly becoming a favoured stop-over destination for North America.
“From 10 April Fiji Airways will connect Cairns with Nadi, which will offer north Queenslanders the very first Fiji direct flights, but will also open the north up to Fiji’s new Dallas-Fort Worth connection.
“There’s always room for improvement though, and despite these exciting announcement for major world carriers that are investing into Australia, there is still more to be done, particularly with capacity into Europe and North America, which we have seen lag behind the rest of the world for some time now.
“We know that increased capacity equals higher competition and cheaper airfares, so every new route is good news for the pockets of travellers.”
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