“We’re sort of operating somewhere between 85 and 95 per cent of pre-pandemic. The airport is really starting to buzz,” says Canberra Airport’s head of aviation Michael Thomson.

Figures reveal family travel is a key component with a good result from recent school holiday travel.

“As we push on to Christmas, we would imagine that more and more people are going travel” he says.

Not only is a deal expected to be completed with Air New Zealand, but I understand the airport is in discussions with an un-named carrier to the north of Australia for holiday getaways.