More than 2000 extra passengers will arrive at Cairns Airport this week as airlines increase services to cater for an influx of athletes competing in Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia Pacific Championship Cairns events.
Major airlines will land an additional 10 planes in Cairns across Thursday and Friday, up almost 20 per cent compared to the same time last week.
The additional services mean a further 2000 passengers will disembark in Cairns than on an average week. Bigger planes are also being used to ferry more than 2600 bikes into Cairns for the cycling legs of the major races.
More than 3,500 athletes are set to participate across the festival this year, making this year’s Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia Pacific Championship Cairns the biggest yet.
Cairns Airport Chief Executive Officer, Richard Barker, said the figures confirmed the popularity and importance of the iconic event.
“We know this championship is a favourite among athletes and their supporters, who travel here each year to take part,” he said.
“Far North Queensland is particularly picturesque at this time of year and providing a drawcard such as Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia Pacific Championship Cairns is a great way to showcase our incredible region to people from all over Australia and the world.
“This is particularly crucial in 2022 as our region and the aviation industry continue to recover from the effects of COVID-19. Major events like these are invaluable because they provide great incentive for people to visit Cairns and the greater Far North region, and then stay to enjoy the scenery and experiences on offer here.”
Tourism Tropical North Queensland General Manager Rosie Douglas said having a sold-out Cairns Airport IRONMAN Asia Pacific Championship Cairns with the return to a full schedule of events would be a huge boost to visitor numbers.
“It is really exciting to see that 25 countries will be represented at the event this year including Singapore, German, New Zealand and India,” she said.
“This demonstrates that confidence in travelling for events has returned, which bodes well for the strong calendar of sporting events ahead for Tropical North Queensland.”
There will be changed traffic conditions in place on Sunday, between Cairns and Port Douglas. Motorists travelling to or from Cairns Airport are encouraged to allow additional travel time as delays may be expected.