Warning for Travellers: Busiest Day at Aussie Airports Ahead of AFL Grand Final and School Holidays
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VOCABULARY LIST
Footy (noun) /ˈfʊti/: Australian slang for Australian Rules Football (AFL) or rugby.
Example: Footy fans are flying to Melbourne for the grand final.
Grand final (noun) /ɡrænd ˈfaɪnəl/: The final match in a sports competition that decides the winner.
Example: The AFL grand final will be held in Melbourne this weekend.
Wrap up (phrasal verb) /ræp ʌp/: To come to an end or finish.
Example: Queenslanders are returning home as the school holidays wrap up.
Busy (adjective) /ˈbɪzi/: Full of activity or crowded with people.
Example: Melbourne Airport will be very busy on Friday due to the footy and school holidays.
Record-breaking (adjective) /ˈrɛkɔdˌbreɪkɪŋ/: Surpassing or setting a new record.
Example: Friday is expected to reach record-breaking passenger numbers at Brisbane Airport.
Tip (noun) /tɪp/: A useful piece of advice.
Example: Our tip for travellers is to use the Terminal 4 car park to avoid congestion.
Car park (noun) /ˈkɑ pɑk/: A place where vehicles are parked; parking lot.
Example: The car parks at Melbourne Airport are already sold out.
Pick-up zone (noun) /ˈpɪk ʌp zoʊn/: A designated area where passengers can be picked up by vehicles.
Example: Use the Terminal 4 pick-up zone to avoid traffic delays.
Take off (phrasal verb) /teɪk ɒf/: To begin flying; to depart.
Example: Airlines have added extra flights to take off due to high demand.
Strike (noun) /straɪk/: A period when workers stop working as a form of protest.
Example: Qantas workers began a strike at Melbourne Airport on Thursday.
ARTICLE
On Friday, Australia’s major airports are preparing for a very busy day, with footy fans flying to Melbourne for the AFL grand final, school holiday travellers, and strike action all coming together.
Brisbane Airport is expecting its busiest day of the year, as fans of the Brisbane Lions head to Melbourne to watch their team face the Sydney Swans in the AFL grand final. Many Queenslanders are also returning home as the state's school holidays end, while holidays are just beginning in NSW and continuing in Victoria.
“Friday would have been busy anyway due to the school holiday overlap, but now it’s in record-breaking territory,” said Brisbane Airport spokesman Peter Doherty. Airlines have added 40 extra flights to manage the high demand.
About 62,000 passengers are expected to pass through Brisbane’s domestic terminal, close to the all-time record of 63,525 passengers set in October 2019.
In Sydney, Friday is the last day of school before the holidays start in NSW, and Sydney Airport is expecting more than 80,000 passengers. Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton advised passengers to plan ahead, allow extra time, and check the new Sydney Gateway motorway to make their journey easier.
Melbourne Airport will be even busier, with an expected 114,000 passengers on Friday alone. With two interstate teams in the grand final, it could be even more crowded. Travellers are warned that car parks are already sold out, and construction at the airport means that an extra 30 minutes should be allowed when heading there.
Prepare for Delays
RMIT Aviation Academy’s Justin Brownjohn explained that major sporting events create chaos for airline schedulers. “Airlines need to find aircraft, crew, and time slots, and often other flights are cancelled, leading to high prices,” he said.
Adding to the pressure, Qantas workers began a strike at Melbourne Airport on Thursday, with 10 flights already cancelled by midday. The strike is part of a larger protest by Qantas engineers, which is expected to spread to other major airports in the next two weeks.
While the union has warned of more disruptions, Qantas has said they are prepared and do not expect major impacts on customers.
For travellers flying to the grand final, Qantas is expected to prioritise these routes, but other services could be cancelled. With school holidays halfway through and a long weekend coming up in Victoria, any disruption may be hard to fix. If your flight is cancelled, you might face long delays or difficulty finding a seat on a later flight, especially if you don’t have priority with your airline.
SOURCE:
This article is based on: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/busiest-day-of-year-warning-for-footy-fans-school-holiday-travellers-at-major-aussie-airports/news-story/5fc63fe58f134fc685c669c80c7914b7
