Sydney Airport transits up by 7pc in 2024

: Oil products
25/01/29

Passenger numbers rose on the quarter and year at Australia's Sydney Airport in October-December, but remain behind pre-Covid-19 levels, meaning jet fuel demand is likely to be higher in 2025.

Total transits at the nation's busiest airport were up by more than 500,000 on a year earlier in the quarter, aided by a 7pc rise in international passengers, while domestic numbers were up by 4pc.

Numbers were also up in 2024 compared with 2023's annual figure, again aided by a 12pc rise in international terminal passengers, while domestic numbers rose by just 4pc.

Total transits of 41.39mn were 7pc higher than a year earlier but are still 7pc below 2019 levels, the last full year before pandemic-era travel restrictions resulted in Sydney's figures dropping by 75pc in 2020.

Passenger traffic at Australia's Melbourne Airport — the nation's second busiest — rose by 7pc on the year in 2024 to 35.75mn, 5pc below 2019's 37.45mn.

Jet fuel sales rose by 11pc in the first 11 months of 2024 to 160,000 b/d, with November the latest month for which data from Australian Petroleum Statistics are available. The figure was 161,000 b/d in January-November 2019, suggesting further growth in jet fuel demand is possible this year.

By Tom Major

Sydney Airport passenger traffic									mn
	Oct-Dec '24	Jul-Sep '24	Oct-Dec '23	2024	2023	2019	q-o-q % ±	y-o-y % ±	2024 vs 2023 % ±

Total	11	10.3	10.5	41.4	38.7	44.4	6	5	7
International	4.4	4	4.1	16.3	14.5	16.9	8	7	12
Domestic	6.7	6.3	6.4	25.1	24.1	27.5	5	4	4
— Sydney Airport

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