After very subdued numbers in October, passenger traffic at Australia’s busiest airport, Sydney, increased in November. However, the increase may only be temporary, as the proliferation of the Covid-19 Omicron variant is causing more restrictions on both local and international air travel.
The overall number of passengers passing through Sydney Airport in November was 498,000, a decrease of 86.7 per cent from the same month in 2019 before the global spread of Covid-19 disrupted air traffic.
However, November passenger counts were up from 65,000 in October, reflecting restricted air travel from Sydney due to the city being in a Covid-19 curfew, according to Sydney Airport.
Domestic passenger traffic totalled 407,000 in November, a decline of 82.9 per cent over the same time in 2019. According to the airport operator, international travellers passing through Sydney airport in November were also down by 93.3 per cent compared to the same month in 2019.
According to preliminary figures, international and domestic passenger traffic was down by around 86 per cent and 69 per cent, respectively, in the first 15 days of December compared to the same time in 2019.
“The prognosis for passenger traffic remains subdued as a result of closely controlled incoming international travel, entry requirements and restrictions into important overseas markets, and the impact of the Omicron outbreak,” Sydney Airport said.
