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Busiest airports in the Australia

Top 20 busiest airports in the Australia

Check out Australia’s top 20 Airports right here, with the latest annual passenger numbers.

Spend a few minutes more with this great guide and you’ll find out about the most popular destinations from each, things to do nearby and even airport parking.

Sydney Airport (SYD) - 7,180,000
Brisbane Airport (BNE) - 5,710,000
Melbourne Airport (MEL) - 4,920,000
Perth Airport (PER) - 4,170,000
Adelaide Airport (ADL) - 3,250,000
Gold Coast Airport (OOL) - 2,990,000
Cairns Airport (CNS) - 2,620,000
Hobart Airport (HBA) - 1,810,000
Darwin Airport (DRW) - 1,700,000
Alice Springs Airport (ASP) - 1,560,000
Canberra Airport (CBR) - 1,450,000
Townsville Airport (TSV) - 1,380,000
Launceston Airport (LAU) - 1,320,000
Mackay Airport (MKY) - 1,260,000
Newcastle Airport (NCL) - 1,190,000
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport (TWB) - 1,150,000
Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA) - 1,080,000
Hamilton Island Airport (HIL) - 1,020,000
Port Hedland Airport (PHT) - 990,000
Alice Springs Inland Mission Airport (AS) - 970,000

Things to see and do at Australia’s busiest airports

If you’re able to get there a little early, there are tons of terrific things to see and do near Australia’s busiest airports.

Here are just a few excellent examples:

If you’re flying from Sydney, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge are must-sees, while you can also take a ferry to Manly Beach, take a cathartic stroll round the Royal Botanic Gardens, shop ‘til you drop at the Queen Victoria Building and gaze at the masterpieces at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

In Brisbane meanwhile, foodies love the excellent restaurants at Fortitude Valley, Queen Street Mall is a hotspot for shopping, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre has a packed calendar of eclectic shows, and the Southbank Parklands are sublime. The Queensland Museum brings local history alive, as well as cultures from Ancient Egypt to the current era.

And Melbourne’s no slouch when it comes to attractions either. If you’re a fan of classic TV soaps, you can visit the Vermont South suburb – where real-life homes serve as Ramsay Street from Neighbours. There’s also to-notch retail therapy at Bourke Street Mall and sports fans love to visit Melbourne Cricket Ground. Over in the west, Perth has pretty Elizabeth Quay, the wonderful Western Australia Museum, and gorgeous green space of Kings Park. And if you like a reviving sea breeze, answer the call of charming Cottesloe Beach.

Visitors to Adelaide Airport are also in for a treat when they’ve got some time to explore. There’s brilliant Glenelg Beach, Art Gallery of South Australia, calming Adelaide Botanic Garden, and shopping experiences at Rundle Mall. And before you fly from Gold Coast Airport, take time out to soak up the vibes at Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach beaches, catch a show at the Star Gold Coast or visit the Sea World aquarium.

Down at Hobart meanwhile, you can shop for bargains at the Salamanca markets, visit Mount Wellington and get your culture vulture on at the Museum of Old and New Art, while Darwin doesn’t disappoint, with the Darwin Waterfront, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and Casuarina Square shopping mall. How about Alice Springs though? Well, landmarks don’t get much more legendary than Uluru, the Todd River is a scenic spot for a stroll and the Alice Springs Desert Park is always worth a visit.

Getting to Australia’s 20 busiest airports

For your SatNav, here are the addresses of Australia’s 20 busiest airports

Sydney Airport (SYD): 100 Aviation Way, Mascot, New South Wales 2020
Brisbane Airport (BNE): 11 Harewood Drive, Eagle Farm, Queensland 4006
Melbourne Airport (MEL): 270 Lorimer Street, Tullamarine, Victoria 3043
Perth Airport (PER): 1 Airport Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Adelaide Airport (ADL): 500 Port Road, West Beach, South Australia 5021
Gold Coast Airport (OOL): 1000 Gold Coast Highway, Coolangatta, Queensland 4222
Cairns Airport (CNS): 200 Captain Cook Highway, Cairns, Queensland 4870
Hobart Airport (HBA): 1155 Main Road, Cambridge, Tasmania 7000
Darwin Airport (DRW): 1 Stuart Highway, Darwin, Northern Territory 0800
Alice Springs Airport (ASP): Stuart Highway, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870
Canberra Airport (CBR): Barton Highway, Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory 2615
Townsville Airport (TSV): 180 Ross River Road, Thuringowah, Queensland 4810
Launceston Airport (LAU): 150 Cambridge Street, Launceston, Tasmania 7250
Mackay Airport (MKY: 100 Aviation Drive, Mackay, Queensland 4740
Newcastle Airport (NTL): Williamtown Road, Mayfield, New South Wales 2304
Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport (TWB): 1 Wellcamp Drive, Wellcamp, Queensland 4350
Wagga Wagga Airport (WGA): 100 Wagga Road, Forest Hill, New South Wales 2650
Hamilton Island Airport (HIL): 1 Hamilton Island Road, Hamilton Island, Queensland 4429
Port Hedland Airport (PHT): 1 Airport Road, Port Hedland, Western Australia 6795
Alice Springs Inland Mission Airport (AS): Stuart Highway, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870

Learn more about Australia’s top 20 busiest airports

Sydney Airport

If you’re flying from Sydney Airport, the top destinations are Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne and Perth. And international locations like Auckland, Singapore, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Tokyo are also popular. There’s ample airport parking at Sydney.

Brisbane Airport

BNE is a brilliant launchpad for flights to the likes of Hamilton Island, Gold Coast, Perth, Rockhampton and Canberra. Townsville, Cairns, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney are popular too and if you’re driving here, there’s lots of Brisbane Airport parking.

Melbourne Airport

Top international destinations from Melbourne include Tokyo, Hong Kong and Los Angeles, and it’s also a great gateway to domestic destinations like Perth, Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney. Want to eat somewhere a little different? Try Movidas tapas bar – delish! Taking your car to the airport? The parking at MEL is decent too.

Perth Airport

PER is a perfect choice for domestic flights to Canberra, Hobart, Alice Springs and Broome. As well as international hotspots like Kuala Lumpur, Bali, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Park your car at PER and pop into the David Jones department store while you’re there – perfect place to pick up a homeware gift.

Adelaide Airport

Adelaide’s an awesome starting point for holidays and business trips to places like Darwin, Canberra, Perth and Cairns. Plus, international locations like London, Dubai and Phuket are top picks too and the parking at Adelaide Airport is well organised.

Gold Coast Airport

Top destinations from Gold Coast airport include Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. And it’s also popular for international destinations like Auckland, Denpasar and Singapore. Saikou Sushi is a super place to sample sushi and sashimi, while The Salty Fox Rooftop Bar is a great place to grab a drink and enjoy scenic views. Gold Coast Airport parking is pretty good too.

Cairns Airport

Choose Cairns Airport for easy parking and destinations like Townsville, Canberra, Hobart, Alice Springs and Mackay. Cool shopping options include Sunglass Hut, Roxy and Billabong.

Hobart Airport

Travellers choose Hobart Airport for flights to destinations like Launceston, Alice Springs and Adelaide. There’s lots of convenient parking at HBA and you can grab a great cuppa at The Coffee Club.

Alice Springs Airport

If you’re driving to Alice Springs, ASP parking is pretty good, as are airport amenities in general. Popular destinations are Yulara, Canberra, Darwin, Sydney and Adelaide.

Canberra Airport

There are plenty of good CBR parking deals and this is a top choice for flights to Launceston, Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth, Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne.

Townsville Airport

Pick Townsville Airport if you need to fly to locations like Whitsunday Coast, Hobart, Darwin, Brisbane and Gold Coast. Book ahead and you’ll bag some decent TSV parking deals too.

Launceston Airport

The parking at LAU is well-organised and this is a prime spot if you’re flying to Burnie, Alice Springs, Darwin, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. The James Boag Bar and Kitchen is a super place for a pre-flight meal.

Mackay Airport

If you’re taking your car, Mackay Airport parking is easy to use and this is a popular pick for flights to Rockhampton, Darwin, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Townville and Adelaide.

Newcastle Airport

NTL destinations include Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Darwin and Alice Springs. And the parking at Newcastle Airport is ace too.

Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport

Where can you fly to from this slightly lesser-known Aussie airport? The list of TWB destinations includes Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Not bad at all!

Wagga Wagga Airport

WGA is a well-connected airport and top destinations include Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Alice Springs and Gold Coast.

Hamilton Island Airport

The parking at Hamilton Island is tip-top and you can fly from here to delightful destinations like Melbourne, Sydney Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth.

Port Hedland Airport

If you’re driving in, there’s ample parking at PHT. Destinations from this airport include Newman, Karratha, Broome, Perth and Adelaide.

Alice Springs Inland Mission Airport

Destinations from AS include Tennant Creek, Darwin, Katherine, Broome, Perth and Adelaide.

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