Perth Airport is the fourth busiest in the country. The 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit identified that since 2015, a number of airports have undergone significant capacity upgrades and that Perth Airport is in the planning stages for additional capacity to meet projected growth in demand.

The Perth Airport Preliminary Draft Master Plan 2020 forecasts passenger throughput to increase from 14.5 million in 2018–19 to 28.5 million in 2039–40, and total aircraft movements are predicted to grow from 132,000 annually in 2018–19 to 202,000 in 2039–40.

This growth is partly driven by the airport’s role as a critical fly-in fly-out transport hub for shift workers travelling to Western Australia’s regional mining operations.

Passenger movements in and out of Perth Airport are concentrated around peak periods.

The high level of demand during peak periods fully utilises available runway slots, which leads to a less preferable departure or arrival time. This can lead to higher costs for business travellers and fly-in fly-out workers, reducing Australia’s international competitiveness.