A Qantas aircraft lands at Mackay Airport. Photo: FILE / ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
Virgin Australia is to nearly double passenger capacity on its Brisbane-Mackay route from February by replacing its smaller, older Fokker 100 aircraft with larger Boeing 737s.
Mackay Airport says the switch of aircraft type will increase capacity on the route by close to 50 per cent; using Boeing 737s will result in 420,000 seats a year compared to 246,000 for the Fokker 100.
Airport Head of Operations Adrian Miles said the return of Virgin Boeing 737, with its business class, would be well received by passengers.
“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 says.
“It will be fantastic to kick off 2025 with Virgin’s Boeing 737 regularly servicing our region.”
In 2024, the airport began work on a long-term commercial project, Milton Precinct. Vacant land will be transformed into a purpose-built business, retail and mixed-use service hub.
The precinct is estimated to inject $134.1 million into the local economy in the first 10 years of operation with new businesses at the site expected to generate $42.5 million annually, the airport said.
Miles said the airport had expected a busy holiday season to close out what had been a successful year for them.
“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.
Mackay Airport and Harrup Park sports club also signed a three-year deal in September to bolster major sporting and tourism events.
This year, due to an agreement signed with CleanCo Queensland, the airport will achieve Net Zero emissions. This means 100 percent of the airport’s electricity, and that of its tenants, will be powered by renewable energy.
