- Western Australia reaches new aviation milestone with Perth Airport's busiest month on record in January
- State well on track for full post-pandemic recovery of international visitors by 2025
- Supported by the Western Australian Government through Aviation Recovery Fund
Western Australia's inbound aviation numbers have taken off in 2024, with Perth Airport clocking its busiest month on record in January with 1.39 million passengers.
For the first time since the State's borders reopened, the number of international flights surged beyond previous levels at the start of the year, with close to 1,000 international and nearly 1,780 interstate inbound flights across January.
These figures represent a 107 per cent recovery compared to 2019, with the upward trend continuing in February, when flight numbers reached 108 per cent compared to the same period in 2019. Additionally, Perth Airport reports international passenger numbers have surpassed pre-COVID levels.
Since the pandemic, the Western Australian Government, in partnership with Perth Airport, has secured non-stop flights from 19 global destinations including Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Johannesburg, London, Paris, Rome and Tokyo.
Western Australia also remains the only Australian state or territory with non-stop aviation connections with the United Kingdom and Continental Europe. Emirates has also recently announced a second daily flight between Dubai and Perth launching in December 2024 which will bring over 129,000 new inbound seats to Western Australia every year.
The State is expected to meet the national forecasted recovery for international visitors by 2025.
The WA Government's $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund (ARF) was delivered as part of the State's Reconnect WA strategy and is designed to attract airlines back to Western Australia, and help develop new routes and increase capacity on existing routes, both domestically and internationally.
Read more about the State's aviation statistics atwww.tourism.wa.gov.au/industry-support-and-events/tourism-development/Pages/Aviation.aspx#
As stated by Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Our Government has taken a strong approach to reconnecting Western Australia with the rest of the world following the pandemic, and these numbers highlight the success of our investments and initiatives.
"We've now connected Western Australia to 19 international destinations and we remain the only direct aviation connections to the United Kingdom and Continental Europe, cementing Perth's reputation as the Western Gateway to Australia.
"Aviation plays a crucial role in expanding the Western Australia visitor economy, with 95 per cent of all out-of-state visitors arriving by air. We look forward to growing these figures and reaching new heights through our continued support of the State's aviation sector."
