PERTH- In 2023, Perth Airport (PER) witnessed a resilient comeback, recording an unprecedented 15.3 million passengers, surpassing the previous peak of 14.9 million achieved in 2014.
While international travel remains approximately 10% below the levels observed in 2019, several significant markets, such as India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, have exceeded pre-COVID levels. Furthermore, the airport experienced an influx of new international services in the past year, including flights operated by Batik Air Malaysia (OD), Philippine Airlines (PR), VietJet (VJ), and Vietnam Airlines (VN).
Strong Connectivity to Southeast Asia
“Although Perth is situated in a geographically isolated region of Western Australia, our connectivity remains robust,” states Stephanie Juszkiewicz, Senior Vice President for Aviation Business Development, as reported by Aviation Week.
“We have witnessed the introduction of new routes to Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, and Jakarta, along with increased frequencies to Hong Kong, Mauritius, and Singapore. The airport is experiencing significant activity.”
This positive trend continues into 2024, with China Eastern Airlines launching a seasonal service from Shanghai during the Chinese New Year, All Nippon Airways (ANA) commencing a thrice-weekly route from Tokyo Narita (NRT), and South African Airways (SA) announcing plans to resume flights from Johannesburg in April.
Adding to the expansion, AirAsia Berhad has confirmed Perth as its first Australian destination from March 11. The low-cost carrier will initiate daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) using Airbus A321neo aircraft, complementing the existing services from KUL by AirAsia X and from Denpasar (Bali) and Jakarta by Indonesia AirAsia.
Further developments starting March 31 include Singapore Airlines (SQ) returning to pre-COVID capacity, Thai Airways reinstating daily Boeing 787-8 operations from Bangkok, and Emirates confirming a second daily flight from Dubai commencing on December 1.
Perth Targets China and India Flights
“Our passenger traffic is well-balanced, with a robust outbound market, particularly in the premium leisure segment,” mentions Juszkiewicz. She emphasizes that Perth is the only Australian city with nonstop connectivity to the UK and Europe.
Presently, Qantas operates a daily service to London Heathrow (LHR) and will recommence the Rome Fiumicino service in June.
Additionally, the Oneworld alliance member plans to inaugurate a new route to Paris Charles de Gaulle on July 12, coinciding with the French capital’s Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games. This launch will contribute an additional 75,000 seats annually to and from Europe.
In addition to exploring opportunities in the European market, Juszkiewicz identifies China and India as key targets. Despite the absence of nonstop flights to these destinations from Perth, she highlights their substantial potential. A route to Seoul is also a high priority for Perth.
According to Sabre data, the Perth-China market had around 200,000 two-way O&D passengers in 2019 when China Southern Airlines operated nonstop flights from Guangzhou. Similarly, the Perth-India market recorded approximately 147,000 two-way passengers during the same period.
New Runway and Future Expansion
In the 2021-22 fiscal year, tourism was pivotal in supporting almost 30,000 businesses related to the sector, creating over 89,000 jobs in Western Australia. This, in turn, facilitated an infusion of approximately A$16.8 billion ($10.9 billion) into the state’s economy through visitor expenditures.
Perth Airport is undergoing several projects to accommodate the anticipated future demand for air services. These initiatives include the expansion of the international terminal, the development of new facilities for the domestic terminal, the construction of a new runway, and the establishment of multi-story parking lots.
These efforts align with a comprehensive master plan to consolidate operations within the Airport Central precinct.
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