Meet the Winners: Adelaide Airport

Following their win at the Routes Asia Awards 2026 in Xi’an, in the 5-10 Million Passengers category and as the Overall Winner, Adelaide Airport share their recent successes and look to the future.

Last year, Adelaide Airport reached 9 million annual passengers, a staggering growth of 21% year-on-year and their highest traffic numbers on record.

The significant growth of the south Australian airport was tributed to their international and domestic connectivity growth in 2025, with two new destinations added to their network. This included a historic-first; towards the end of the year, United Airlines introduced Adelaide Airport’s first ever non-stop service to the US, San Francisco, operating 3 flights weekly. This landmark achievement is just the start of the airport’s future network strategy.

Adelaide also saw international growth across South-East Asia, with Qantas restarting flights to Aukland and Indonesia AirAsia introducing services to Bali 4 times a week with growth plans to daily flights. These new services saw the airport’s network now reach across 11 international destinations, and with their short term strategy focusing on the return of Emirates and Qatar, as well as expanding across Europe, this number will only grow.

As Adelaide Airport look to the future, their route development strategy centres around their Network Vision 2050. Their aim – to extend their network to 39 of the world’s most iconic cities with non-stop services by 2020. Split across three phases over the next 25 years, the airport’s first phase looks to increase their non stop flights to 15 destinations including Japan, India, Philippines and Vietnam, by 2030.

Following their wins in Xi’an, Adelaide Airport’s Head of Aviation Business Development & Commercial, Jonathan Cheong said: “This achievement is a testament to the trust and support of our airline friends, whose collaboration continues to fuel Adelaide’s remarkable growth and enhance our city’s presence on the global map.”

Cheong went on to highlight the support of the aviation community: “Airlines remain the backbone of connectivity—bringing people, communities, and businesses together and Adelaide Airport is proud to support that every day. Our commitment to delivering a journey that is Seamless. Connected. Easy., we value the relationships we have built with both our existing and prospective airline friends. Together, we are opening new opportunities, improving connectivity, and supporting trade and tourism across South Australia.”