As we reflect on the past year, we are proud to share our achievements and the progress we've made towards becoming the airport our region deserves.
Passenger Milestones
With a region that loves travelling, more than 1.2 million passengers travelled through our airport in the 2023-24 financial year - our busiest in five years. October was particularly busy, with 110,000 passengers passing through our terminal. That's like filling the Sydney Opera House 20 times over.
Our flights were so popular that passengers may have noticed planes more booked than usual - in fact, we recorded our highest annual average load factor (available seats filled) in a decade.
We looked after our customers
Our team worked tirelessly to ensure smooth travels:
- 407,281 bags were checked, processed, and loaded.
- 225,291 customers enjoyed stress-free parking experiences with a range of parking options available to suit all budgets.
- Our food and beverage outlets served up 118,603 plated meals, 19,148 burgers, 22,078 croissants and enough coffee to run more than 820 medium-size cars if you filled their fuel tanks. (That’s 232,466 coffees for the caffeine curious). And let's not forget the 25,787 glasses of wine and 70,895 beers served - cheers to that!
- Our News Travels outlet also kept you entertained and refreshed with over 35,000 magazines, books, and newspapers, nearly 120,000 cold beverages, and more than 10,000 packets of chips.
- With a great customer experience our priority, we also launched a new website accessibility profile tool, enhancing the online experience for all passengers.
- The introduction of our Sunflower Program last year designed to support passengers with hidden disabilities, also focussed on what’s important - smoother and more comfortable journeys for everyone.
We looked after your best friends!
June brought a delightful addition with the Hunter Pet Motel opening its doors and welcoming hundreds of cats and dogs while their humans took off with us. This announcement became our most engaging Facebook post, capturing 30,852 interactions and showing just how much our community loves their four-legged travel companions!
Our Terminal Expansion and Infrastructure
We have made incredible progress on our terminal expansion. We are progressing towards achieving a 5 Star Green Star Buildings rating, positioning ourselves as a facility focussed on sustainable airport design.
During construction we’ve poured 6,000 cubic metres of concrete and used 600 tonnes of steel to shape the future of Newcastle Airport's international terminal.
A total of 1,198 people were inducted to the construction site, contributing an impressive 179,283 hours of work by the end of 2024. We also celebrated a significant milestone by placing the final roof beam at our landmark Topping Out Ceremony. We know our region is waiting for our grand opening on the 1st of August this year.
Additionally, we've completed the Williamtown Drive duplication and Nelson Bay intersection upgrade projects, enhancing access and connectivity for our community.
We are proudly growing the airport our region deserves!
We achieved great things!
2024 was a year of remarkable achievements for us. We celebrated 20 years of Jetstar flights from Newcastle to Melbourne, marking two decades of connection and growth. This milestone reflects our commitment to providing reliable and convenient travel options for our passengers.
Our first electric pushback was also completed at Newcastle Airport - a significant achievement for airport ground operations.
Building Connections
2024 was all about building connections and spreading the Newy spirit far and wide. We kicked off our That’s the Newy Way campaign, celebrating everything that makes Newcastle unique and vibrant. From our stunning coastline to our bustling city life, we showcased what it means to live and travel the Newy way.
Our Aviation Business Development Team was on the move, attending key events across six countries and engaging in 101 airline meetings. Their efforts are paving the way for more exciting travel opportunities and stronger global connections.
You, our amazing passengers, visited our website nearly 1.3 million times! Your favourite pages were Arrivals & Departures, Melbourne, and Brisbane. Whether you were checking flight statuses or planning your next adventure, we loved having you online with us.
And let's not forget the 33,068 times you logged into our free Wi-Fi. Whether you were catching up on emails, streaming your favourite shows, or sharing your travel moments on social media, we were thrilled to keep you connected.
Here's to building even more connections in the year ahead, the Newy Way!
Our Sustainability Story
Part of being the airport the region deserves means that we deliver on our commitment to sustainability, which is why we are serious about becoming the green gateway to NSW.
In 2024, we dispensed 63,093 litres of water from our water refill station, which equates to 105,156 fewer plastic bottles. Our EV chargers provided 4,000 kWh, enough to drive an electric vehicle 20,000 km – a distance that could take you completely around Australia and then some.
We are also proud to have achieved our goal of being Net Zero (Scope 1 & 2) six years ahead of schedule, a testament to our dedication to reducing our environmental impact.
Our partnership with CommBank to fund growth via an innovative Green Sustainability-Linked Loan further underscores our commitment to sustainable practices.
Focus on staff wellbeing
We believe that strong teams start with a strong focus on our staff. This year, we welcomed 28 new team members, expanding our talent pool and bringing fresh perspectives to our work. We're proud to champion equality, with a balanced representation of 52% male and 48% female in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
Prioritising mental health is a key part of our culture, and we're proud that 27% of our workforce are trained as Mental Health First Aiders. Our commitment to mental health extends beyond our team, as we ranked in the top 10% of workplaces for funds raised in support of the Black Dog Institute and other mental health initiatives.
We were honoured to receive the Best Health and Wellbeing (Large Organisation) award at the 2024 Hunter Safety Awards, recognising our efforts to prioritise the health and wellbeing of our team.
We also enhanced flexibility for our employees with new remuneration and benefits strategies, including compressed work weeks, ensuring our team can maintain a healthy work-life balance. At Newcastle Airport, strong teams truly start here,
We always put safety first
At Newcastle Airport safety is our top priority. Over the past year, we've facilitated 1,743 inbound medical flights, ensuring timely and safe transport for those in need. Our dedicated staff completed 1,095 Work, Health, and Safety courses, demonstrating our commitment to maintaining a secure environment.
Additionally, we organised a full-scale collaborative training exercise with over 100 participants, showcasing our proactive approach to safety and teamwork. We always put safety first!
Looking ahead!
As we continue through 2025, we remain committed to our vision of connecting the Hunter region with innovative, sustainable, and passenger-focused services. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our passengers, staff, and the community for their continued support as we work towards enhancing regional connectivity. Here's to another year of growth, innovation, and serving as the airport our region deserves.