PASSENGER numbers at Melbourne Airport rose four per cent in April 2013 compared to the same month last year, with a total of 2,451,847 domestic and international passengers travelling through Victoria’s aviation gateway.
International numbers grew five per cent to 572,437 passengers, with travellers from China leading the way in terms of growth. China saw a 22.9 per cent increase on April 2012, reaffirming the ongoing importance of this market for Victoria’s tourism, education and business sectors.
Other markets in Asia also grew in April, with passengers from Taiwan up by 18.1 per cent, Vietnam by 14.3 per cent, the Philippines by 7.4 per cent and India by 4.1 per cent.
Melbourne Airport CEO, Chris Woodruff, said: ‘This growth highlights the importance of providing more aviation capacity between Australia and key international markets, particularly in Asia. The Australian Government must lead the way in supporting more capacity on key air routes so airlines can provide the additional seats the travelling public is demanding.”
International travel by Australian passport holders increased by almost six per cent, while domestic passenger numbers grew four per cent to 1,879,410 passengers.
