Airport Flying High With Larger Aircraft

One of Mackay Airport’s busiest routes will soon be serviced by larger aircraft, injecting thousands of additional seats into the market and positioning 2025 as a bumper year for visitation and industry growth.

Virgin Australia will begin flying more Boeing 737s between Brisbane and Mackay from February next year, replacing the smaller Fokker 100 aircraft that have supplemented the airline’s national growth in recent years.

The upgrade will increase capacity on the route by close to 50 per cent, with the Boeing 737 providing approximately 420,000 seats on the route per year up from 246,000 on the smaller aircraft.

Mackay Airport Head of Operations Adrian Miles said the return of Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737, which offers business class, would be well received by passengers, particularly those regularly travelling for work.

“This is a testament to the strength of the corporate market between Brisbane and Mackay, with Mackay being one of the first ports to transition back to the Boeing 737,” he said.

“It will be fantastic to kick off 2025 with Virgin’s Boeing 737 regularly servicing our region.”

It follows a series of developments across Mackay Airport in 2024, including commencement of long-term commercial project Milton Precinct. Vacant land will be transformed into a purpose-built business, retail and mixed- use service hub, offering an array of industry opportunities and injecting millions of dollars into the local economy each year.

Mackay Airport also launched the Hidden Disabilities Program, the inaugural $25,000 Mackay Airport Local Community Sports Grants campaign, and entered a number of key partnerships aimed at growing the region’s visitor market, such as a three-year strategic agreement with Harrup Park and continued sponsorship of the Mackay Cutters.

Mr Miles said Mackay Airport was ready for a busy holiday season to close out the successful year.

“Over the three weeks leading into Christmas, we expect more than 50,000 passengers to travel through Mackay Airport, which is a 10 per cent increase on regular traffic flows,” he said.

BY THE NUMBERS
• From February 2025, Virgin Australia will begin flying more Boeing 737s between Brisbane and Mackay, replacing the smaller Fokker 100 aircraft.
• The upgrade will increase capacity on the route by close to 50 per cent, with approximately 420,000 seats on the route per year up from 246,000.
• More than 50,000 passengers are expected to travel through Mackay Airport across the three weeks leading into Christmas, a 10 per cent increase on regular traffic flows.
• Mackay Airport commenced work on the Milton Precinct in 2024. This major, long-term commercial development is estimated to provide $134.1 million to the local economy in the first 10 years of operation and new businesses at the site are expected to generate $42.5 million in output per year.

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Virgin Australia will upgrade its Brisbane-Mackay flights to Boeing 737s from February 2025, increasing route capacity by 50 per cent. Photo supplied

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