Whitsunday Coast Airport Growth Soars

Photo supplied: Whitsundays Regional Council  

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Whitsunday Coast Airport continues to punch above its weight on the national stage, recording the second-highest passenger growth of any major Australian airport.  

The latest Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) figures show the Council-owned airport recorded passenger growth of 10.6 per cent for the year ending June 2026, second only to Karratha Airport at 11.6 per cent.  

The result was more than three times the national passenger growth rate of 3.1 per cent and well ahead of many of Australia’s larger airports.  

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Ry Collins said the latest figures were another strong vote of confidence in the Whitsundays as a destination and reflected the growing importance of Whitsunday Coast Airport to the regional economy.  

“Whitsunday Coast Airport might be a regional airport, but it continues to deliver some seriously big results for our region,” Mayor Collins said.  

“To be the second-fastest growing airport in Australia is a fantastic result and shows just how strong demand for the Whitsundays continues to be.  

“Our airport is much more than somewhere people arrive and depart. It is one of the key gateways to the Whitsundays and a major driver of our visitor economy.  

“Every extra passenger coming through the terminal potentially means another visitor staying in our accommodation, eating in our restaurants, booking a tour and spending money with local businesses.”  

Mayor Collins said the result also reflected strong partnerships with airlines to increase capacity and improve connectivity into the region.  

“We’ve worked hard with our airline partners to grow services and make it easier for people to fly directly into the heart of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.  

“The benefit is not just for tourism. Better connectivity also gives our residents more choice and makes the Whitsundays an even more attractive place to live, work and invest.”  

The strong passenger figures come as Whitsunday Coast Airport continues to earn recognition within the tourism industry, with the airport also in the running for national tourism honours.  

Mayor Collins said the results and national recognition were something the community could be proud of, but the focus was firmly on what comes next.  

“We’re not interested in sitting back and patting ourselves on the back. We want to keep growing routes, building capacity and giving locals more choice about where and when they can fly,” he said.  

“We know the Whitsundays is a destination people want to visit, so our job is to keep opening up opportunities to get them here while making sure our community benefits from that growth.  

“We’ve got a regional airport serving a world-class destination, and we’re only getting started.”