Melbourne Airport gets that little bit closer to full recovery to 2019 levels today when Vietnam Airlines launches its new nonstop service to Hanoi. The airport handled 2.6 million passengers in May, moving it to 90% of pre-pandemic levels.
Melbourne Airport (MEL) released its May 2023 passenger traffic results today, highlighting how quickly the airport is returning to 2019 activity levels. The airport set a new post-pandemic record for monthly aircraft movements, with 19,714 flights arriving or departing last month.
The return of Chinese carriers is key
The end of COVID-19 travel restrictions across Asia is really starting to impact passenger flows at Melbourne Airport, with most of the international carriers resuming operations at the airport. Of particular note is the rapid return of major Chinese airlines, including China Southern, China Eastern and Air China, which are so vital to tourism in Melbourne and the state of Victoria.
Photo: China Southern
International traffic has more than doubled in the last twelve months, with 3,784 flights operating in May compared to just 1,740 last year. This resulted in 744,868 international passengers using Melbourne Airport compared to 367,681 last year, and international traffic is now at 88% of the 2019 numbers.
Domestic travel in Australia has pretty much returned to pre-COVID levels, and last month there were 1.86 million domestic travelers passing through the airport, a 7% growth over May 2022. Across all four terminals the airport handled 2.6 million passengers, 23% more than last year and 90% of the 2.88 million it processed in May 2019.
More flights to Vietnam
The international business is propelling the airport to full recovery, and today one of its existing operators, Vietnam Airlines, is adding more capacity. Vietnam Airlines flight VN779 departed Hanoi Noi Bai International Airport at 01:15 and arrived at Melbourne Airport at 13:01 after an 8:46-hour flight.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
The service was flown by a seven-year-old Airbus A350-900, registration VN-A889 and MSN 017, which is due to depart Melbourne at 15:00 and arrive in Hanoi at 21:45. Vietnam Airlines was the first airline to connect Melbourne with Vietnam and now operates up to 18 flights per week on the route. It also operates to Ho Chi Minh City and is offering around 65,000 per annum across the two destinations.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the flights would add extra capacity to one of Victoria’s fastest growing travel markets, adding:
“The launch of today’s service means we now have 60% more capacity flying to and from Vietnam than we did before the onset of COVID-19.
“The increase in both international and domestic capacity is important because it will help put downward pressure on airfares at a time when cost of living pressures are causing strain for many household budgets.”
Melbourne has a very large Vietnamese diaspora, and there is significant travel between the two countries, encompassing visiting friends and relatives, students who study in Victorian schools and universities, tourists and business travelers. Vietnam consistently ranks in the airport’s top 10 destinations, with the opportunities enticing low-cost carrier Vietjet to launch services between Melbourne and Vietnam.
Have you traveled on Vietnam Airlines or Vietjet? Let us know in the comments.