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Queenslanders hoping to get away this Easter will have even more options after Virgin and Jetstar announced new direct flights to several destinations ahead of the busy holidays.
And for those wanting to avoid the mass exodus, Korean Air will resume its route to Seoul shortly after the break.
Crowds have returned to Brisbane Airport since it reopened in December 2020, when Graham and Natalie Auchterlonie welcomed daughter Katherine home. Credit:Tertius Pickard
The new flights, amounting to thousands of extra seats, will mark a major transition for Brisbane Airport, which is recovering after three years of cancellations, delays and disruptions due to COVID-19.
Brisbane Airport Corporation predicts a massive 77 per cent increase in international arrivals and departures over Easter and a two per cent increase in domestic flights compared with 2022.
Overall, it expects 1.4 million people to pass through the airport – an increase of 13 per cent on last year, mainly due to the recovery in international travel.
On Thursday, Virgin Australia will recommence flights to Samoa, then next Monday, Jetstar will commence direct flights to Auckland.
On March 31, Virgin Australia will recommence flights to Vanuatu, and on April 23, Korean Air will resume its flights to Seoul.
Brisbane Airport Corporation’s head of public affairs, Stephen Beckett, said inbound visitors to Brisbane would come from New Zealand, the UK and the US.
But the top destinations for Queenslanders will be New Zealand, Bali and the UK, with India a new contender, Beckett said.