Brisbane Airport Fires Back Over Claims Of Travel Chaos Amid School Holiday Fever

The latest raft of eased Covid restrictions, and colder temperatures has plunged Brisbane Airport into chaos.

School holiday madness has led to a Queensland travel boom, with Brisbane Airport boasting more than 95 per cent of pre-Covid capacity with around 110,000 passengers crossing the tarmac this weekend alone.

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The airport has advised travellers to arrive 90 minutes early for domestic travel and three hours early for international flights.

“We are incredibly excited to see the terminals filling up and we have boosted the number of staff during peak times. We encourage people to arrive at least 90-minutes prior to domestic flight for a stress-free departure,” Brisbane Airport Corporation head of Public Affairs Stephen Beckett said.

“For international departures, we recommend arriving three hours before your flight. The International Terminal will set a new post-pandemic record on Friday with 9,000 travellers which is fantastic as 75 per cent of international visitors to Queensland arrive via Brisbane Airport.”

Yet despite the airport forewarning holiday makers eager for a getaway to come prepared for delays, travellers have continued to complain over lengthy security and baggage check-in queues, causing flight delays.

One passenger told The Courier-Mail the airport seemed totally unprepared for the onslaught of travellers.

“The queues are outrageous and it’s clear the place is totally understaffed,” he said

“How can we expect people to want to travel when they are confronted with scenes like this?”

Mr Beckett on Friday commented that the removal of airport mask mandates had helped to improve communication and reduce delays.

“We’re working hard to help people get on their way for holidays,” he said. “It’s a very busy time”

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