Brisbane Airport has recorded the strongest recovery in international travel among Australia’s major airports, surpassing Melbourne and Sydney since 2019. In February 2025, international passenger numbers at Brisbane were 12% higher than February 2019, compared to 8% growth in Melbourne and just 2% in Sydney.
Driving this growth is a notable surge in visitors from Japan, with Japanese arrivals increasing by 124% since 2019. Brisbane now averages 236 Japanese visitors monthly. Outbound travel from Queensland to Japan has risen even more sharply—up 255% over the same period—making Japan Brisbane Airport’s fourth-largest outbound destination.
While New Zealand remains the airport’s biggest international market with 1.3 million passengers annually, Japan’s rapid growth highlights Brisbane’s expanding role as a key travel hub between Australia and Asia. Increased US flight capacity also contributes to the airport’s robust international rebound.
