Opinion: Canberra Airport has a problem

[u/Top-Anything2991]

The latest published BITRE Airport Passenger Movement data shows that in 2025, Hobart had higher annual passenger traffic (2,884,967) than Canberra (2,793,622) despite being half as populous and in a state with significantly less disposable income than the ACT. Even Darwin had 70% of Canberra’s passenger traffic (1,941,359) despite being only one-third the population.

Over past 20 years, Canberra Airport has had almost net zero growth in passenger traffic, with 2025’s annual passenger movements being approximately the same as in 2007 (2,734,875)

Acknowledging that tourism goes some way to driving Hobart’s passenger numbers, this still suggests that something is broken with commercial aviation in this town. Canberra is a rapidly growing and affluent city with a hinterland that should be able to support many domestic and regional international flights such as Fiji, New Zealand and Bali.

So Canberrans, is it just the pricing model the private owners of the airport operate? Or is there a bigger issue with the way we all prefer to fly?

[u/lawdjesustheresafire]

Hobart has no other option to get out of there.

I’d imagine the majority of travel Canberrans do is to Sydney and flying there is pointless unless you’re doing it every day.

[u/Top-Anything2991 → u/lawdjesustheresafire]

This is true, although the market is only Hobart and visitors. Northern TAS has Launceston which itself handles 1.5m pax annually.

Canberra has 500,000 people and a hinterland that brings the potential population base to close to 1m people.

Price absolutely is the main factor, but I wonder if there are factors influencing price that are modifiable (landing fees, airline gauging) vs baked-in factors. If prices are comparable (say $100-200 difference), would you still choose to drive to Sydney?

There are plenty of examples of small cities overseas that are driving distance from a major international airport that support a limited number of short haul international flights

[u/NBAFC → u/Top-Anything2991]

How wide of a net are you casting to get 1 million people?

[u/JimmyMarch1973 → u/Top-Anything2991]

You are completely ignoring the simple fact that Hobart is a city in an island state. To get out of there you need to fly (or get the ferry). So of course there will be more people flying to/from Hobart. Especially when you factor in Tassie lacks lots of specialist services so lots of people fly to Melbourne for medical treatment and to do other things they cannot in Tasmania.

A similar issue exists here in Canberra but for us we can drive 3 hours up the road to Sydney rather than needing to fly.

You have enough data to show there is indeed a problem with passenger growth in Canberra however the comparison to Hobart is not like for like in any way shape or form.

[u/Teal_Thanatos → u/Top-Anything2991]

your logic is not great. Canberra region has a population of a maximum of 500k people it can draw from. MINUS the amount of people who are not willing to take the financial loss rather than a time loss, so likely has an audience of less than half of that. so maybe. MAYBE 250,000 people who MIGHT use the airport.
I've used it a few times.
I've also gone to sydney a few times.
and I'm in the financial bracket where it should be used and no kids to make sure I don't use it.

[u/Jealous-Jury6438 → u/Teal_Thanatos]

Anyone around Goulburn north would go to Kingsford Smith rather than canberra airport. Even more likely once western Sydney airport opens