I just don’t know where these forecasts come from (well I know, government consulting, also explains our budget issues). If you cycle back say 20 odd years and look at the forecasts in the 2009 Sydney Airport Master Plan, and what is actually occurring, they might want to ask for a refund on consulting fees.
The 2004/2009 Master Plans had the below forecasts.
2024 Forecast: 69m passengers (Actual 41m)
2029 Forecast: 79m passengers (Last year 42m)
Between 2015 to 2025 Total Domestic Passengers in Sydney actually went backwards. They have not included the flatness in demand in future models, so these over forecasts in future models roll on.
WSI will get growth as mentioned above, but the Sydney basin won’t see the near 100m passengers per year they both are forecasting for 2045. Domestic just isn’t doing the heavy lifting anymore compared to prior decades, and it’s also in all airlines interests to keep a close lid on Sydney capacity to bolster margins on what is a very profitable part of the puzzle, can’t any anyone wanting to flood the market too much in what is a zero growth domestic market.