Melbourne, May 22, 2009 – Despite the dismal numbers of global travelers, Melbourne Airport seems to enjoy a steady influx of international and domestic passengers. In fact, it has hit a record high in April with 8.8 percent increase in international passengers and 1.8 percent increase in domestic passengers. This is the airport’s best passenger figures for any month in the past financial year. A total of 420,089 passengers travelled through the airport last month.

The April figures are a surprise as March proved to be a low month with a 2 percent dip in numbers. For March and for the first quarter of 2009, the Airports Council International figures show that it is starkly lower in international traffic than in 2008. Year-on-year, the dip is at 11 percent for March and 10 percent for the first quarter.

According to Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff, it’s competitive edge is the 24-hour service and it is curfew-free, this provides a greater scheduling flexibility.

New Zealand is the most popular destination for Australians. The number of travellers to Indonesia also showed a notable change, double those of two years ago.

Source:
theage.com.au