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People travel within Australia for many reasons, including family, business, recreation and travel to and from work. This section provides details of rail and air passenger activity within Australia.
Rail passenger activity
The number of passengers carried by private and government rail operators is shown in table 23.14. Since a fall in 1992-93 there have been increases in the number of rail passengers each year. Between 1992-93 and 2000-01 the number of urban passengers increased by 24.3% and non-urban passengers increased by 48.6%. Heavy rail has consistently accounted for more than three-quarters of urban rail passenger operations.
23.14 RAIL PASSENGER OPERATIONS(a) - 1991-92 to 2000-01
|
 | million persons |
| |
|
| | Urban | | |
|
| | |
| | Heavy rail | Tram and light rail | Total | Non-urban | Total |
|
| 1991-92 | 409.2 | 113.7 | 522.9 | 7.7 | 530.6 |
| 1992-93 | 395.5 | 102.5 | 498.0 | 7.0 | 505.0 |
| 1993-94 | 401.6 | 105.6 | 507.2 | 8.4 | 515.6 |
| 1994-95 | 419.7 | 110.5 | 530.2 | 8.5 | 538.7 |
| 1995-96 | 440.9 | 115.5 | 556.4 | 9.1 | 565.5 |
| 1996-97 | 455.9 | 118.3 | 574.2 | 9.8 | 584.0 |
| 1997-98 | 457.3 | 120.5 | 577.8 | 9.9 | 587.7 |
| 1998-99 | 462.8 | 122.5 | 585.3 | 9.9 | 595.2 |
| 1999-2000 | 482.2 | 136.5 | 618.7 | 10.5 | 629.2 |
| 2000-01 | 482.4 | 136.5 | 618.9 | 10.4 | 629.3 |
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| (a) Excludes historical and tourist services. There are no rail passenger services in Tasmania, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory. |
Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc. |
Air passenger activity
As at 30 September 2001 there were two major domestic carriers operating in Australia, Qantas and Virgin Blue. A third major domestic carrier, Ansett Australia, ceased operations in September 2001. As at 30 June 2001, prior to Ansett Australia ceasing operations, 31 regional operators provided regular public transport air services to about 200 airports in Australia.
The Aircraft fleet section provides details of domestic fleets.
Total passenger departures increased by 13.5% over the five years to 2000, the largest increase (7.3%) occuring between 1999 and 2000 (table 23.15). The major domestic and regional airlines both increased their number of passengers over these five years. In 2000, the major domestic airlines accounted for 81.2% of total Australian domestic passenger departures. Over the five years to 2000, the regional airlines increased their share of passenger departures from 14.9% in 1996 to 18.8% in 2000.
The major domestic airlines have continued to reduce the ratio of vacant seat kilometres to distance travelled. In 2000 the ratio was 22.6%, down 3.9 percentage points from the 1996 ratio of 26.5%.
23.15 DOMESTIC AIRLINE ACTIVITY - 1996 to 2000
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| | Units | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999(a) | 2000(a) |
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| Passenger departures(b) - | | | | | | |
| - Domestic airlines | '000 | 23,678.3 | 23,375.3 | 23,574.8 | 24,392.4 | 25,660.4 |
| - Regional airlines | '000 | 4,161.0 | 4,712.7 | 4,851.4 | 5,038.7 | 5,928.9 |
| - Total | '000 | 27,839.3 | 28,088.0 | 28,426.2 | 29,431.1 | 31,589.3 |
| | | | | | |
| Other activity (domestic airlines only) - | | | | | | |
| - Passenger kilometres performed(c) | million | 26,191.4 | 26,357.1 | 26,774.1 | 27,852.7 | 29,600.8 |
| - Seat kilometres available(d) | million | 35,639.5 | 35,402.9 | 35,466.7 | 36,119.2 | 38,231.5 |
| - Percentage of vacant seat kilometres | % | 26.5 | 25.6 | 24.5 | 22.9 | 22.6 |
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(a) Regional airline data include estimates.
(b) The unit of measurement is traffic on board (which includes transit traffic). Includes revenue passengers only.
(c) The sum for all flights of the number of passengers on each flight multiplied by the distance travelled.
(d) The sum for all flights of the number of seats on a flight multiplied by distance travelled. |
Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services. |
Table 23.16 shows the number of passengers boarding or departing by major domestic and regional airlines at the main airports. In 2000, the year of the Sydney Olympics, all airports recorded increased passenger movements over 1999, with more marked growth in the three capital cities on the east coast of Australia. The increase in activity with Impulse and Virgin Blue entering the market had a particular impact on Brisbane airport, with a 12.5% increase in 2000 to 8.8 million movements. In 2000 there was a 9.3% increase in the number of passengers arriving at Sydney airport (16.3 million in total) and a 8.7% increase at Melbourne airport (12.9 million in total).
23.16 PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a) WITH MAJOR DOMESTIC AND REGIONAL AIRLINES AT PRINCIPAL AIRPORTS - 1996 to 2000 |
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| Airport | 1996
no. | 1997
no. | 1998
no. | 1999
no. | 2000(b)
no. |
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| Sydney | 13,901,702 | 14,070,134 | (b)14,275,077 | (b)14,874,624 | 16,264,933 |
| Melbourne | 11,097,264 | 11,227,713 | 11,429,141 | (b)11,902,182 | 12,939,135 |
| Brisbane | 7,375,444 | 7,470,083 | (b)7,438,341 | (b)7,833,436 | 8,810,670 |
| Adelaide | 3,559,829 | 3,636,073 | (b)3,789,458 | (b)3,868,966 | 3,981,933 |
| Perth | 3,066,332 | 3,152,995 | 3,235,524 | 3,257,087 | 3,462,617 |
| Canberra | 1,735,758 | 1,788,064 | 1,805,223 | 1,901,266 | 2,041,016 |
| Hobart | 852,506 | 831,969 | (b)855,934 | (b)877,992 | 927,957 |
| Darwin | 821,584 | 822,583 | 853,721 | (b)878,963 | 906,584 |
| Cairns | 1,926,655 | 1,918,238 | 1,915,717 | (b)2,022,908 | 2,132,713 |
| Coolangatta | 2,043,393 | 1,918,063 | 1,888,644 | (b)1,938,328 | 1,917,756 |
| Townsville | 670,254 | 685,989 | (b)703,984 | (b)739,522 | 771,790 |
| Launceston | 592,443 | 558,995 | 535,944 | (b)545,100 | 531,542 |
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(a) The number of passengers on board arriving at or departing from each airport. Includes passengers in transit, who are counted as both arrivals and departures at airports through which they transit.
(b) Includes estimates for unreported data. |
Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services. |
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