1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2008  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 07/02/2008   
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Contents >> Transport >> Transport activity

TRANSPORT ACTIVITY

Domestic airline activity

The total hours flown and the number of aircraft departures by the major domestic and regional airlines are shown in graph 24.6. In 2006 there were 801 hours flown, while aircraft departures totalled 526.

24.6 Domestic airline activity, major and regional airlines
Graph: 24.6 Domestic airline activity, major and regional airlines


In addition to domestic and regional scheduled services, activities undertaken by the general aviation industry include business flying, aerial agriculture, charter, training and private flying (graph 24.7). Charter, flying training and private/business activity accounted for 76% of general aviation hours flown in 2005.

24.7 General aviation activity, hours flown - 2005
Graph: 24.7 General aviation activity, hours flown—2005



Road transport activity

Motor vehicles travelled an estimated total distance of 206,383 million kilometres (km) in the year ended 31 October 2005, at an average of 15,500 km per vehicle (table 24.8). Business use accounted for an estimated 33% of aggregate distance travelled, and private use 67%. Of total private use travel, 35% consisted of travel to and from work, and 65% for personal and other use travel.
24.8 BUSINESS AND PRIVATE VEHICLE USE - Year ended 31 October 2005

Business
Private
Type of vehicle
Laden
Unladen
Total(a)
To and from work
Personal and other use
Total

TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED (mill. km)

Passenger vehicles
. .
. .
31 039
42 542
81 488
155 068
Motor cycles
. .
. .
*194
*356
879
1 429
Light commercial vehicles
15 537
6 301
21 838
5 417
6 508
33 764
Rigid trucks
5 169
2 213
7 382
*183
*106
7 671
Articulated trucks
4 777
1 522
6 299
*7
*2
6 308
Non-freight carrying trucks
. .
. .
*283
**3
. .
*286
Buses
. .
. .
1 783
*28
*45
1 856
Total
25 483
10 037
68 819
48 536
89 029
206 383

AVERAGE DISTANCE TRAVELLED (‘000 km)(b)

Passenger vehicles
. .
. .
9.7
7.7
8.6
14.6
Motor cycles
. .
. .
*3.7
*3.3
3.0
4.1
Light commercial vehicles
13.5
8.2
17.7
8.3
6.7
17.8
Rigid trucks
16.8
9.2
23.7
*5.6
*3.6
23.0
Articulated trucks
75.9
29.3
99.1
*4.5
*2.0
97.9
Non-freight carrying trucks
. .
. .
15.2
**6.3
*0.9
15.2
Buses
. .
. .
31.5
*6.3
*7.3
30.4
All vehicles
16.8
9.5
13.9
7.6
8.3
15.5

* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
. . not applicable
(a) Includes business travel of non-freight carrying vehicles.
(b) Average distance travelled for registered vehicles which were used.
Source: Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia (9208.0).


The localities in which motor vehicles travelled are described in table 24.9. Only 5.0% of total distance travelled represented interstate trips, while 53% of trips were within the capital city of the state or territory in which the vehicle was registered.

24.9 LOCATION OF VEHICLE OPERATION - Year ended 31 October 2005

Within state/territory of registration
Type of vehicle
Capital city
Provincial urban
Other areas of state/territory
Total
Interstate
Total

TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED (mill. km)

Passenger vehicles
85 400
28 438
33 796
147 635
*7 433
155 068
Motor cycles
*649
*231
*458
1 338
*92
1 429
Light commercial vehicles
16 718
5 567
10 685
32 970
*794
33 764
Rigid trucks
3 914
1 316
2 161
7 391
*280
7 671
Articulated trucks
1 078
448
3 038
4 565
1 744
6 308
Non-freight carrying trucks
*131
*58
*93
*281
**5
*286
Buses
910
*378
*502
1 790
*66
1 856
Total
108 801
36 435
50 733
195 969
*10 414
206 383

AVERAGE DISTANCE TRAVELLED (’000 km)(a)

Passenger vehicles
11.2
8.1
10.1
14.0
*8.3
14.6
Motor cycles
*3.6
*2.3
*3.5
3.9
*4.2
4.1
Light commercial vehicles
16.2
10.9
14.3
17.5
*7.8
17.8
Rigid trucks
23.0
15.9
15.5
22.3
*14.5
23.0
Articulated trucks
31.0
24.8
67.6
72.7
85.6
97.9
Non-freight carrying trucks
*15.1
*15.0
*11.1
15.1
**14.5
15.2
Buses
27.3
*24.7
22.4
29.6
*17.8
30.4
All vehicles
11.9
8.6
11.4
14.8
9.8
15.5

* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
** estimate has a relative standard error greater than 50% and is considered too unreliable for general use
(a) Average distance travelled for registered vehicles which were used.
Source: Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia (9208.0).



Transport passenger activity

Personal travel occurs for many reasons, including school, business, recreation and travel to and from work. While road transport accounts for the majority of domestic passenger trips undertaken, rail services are used by a considerable number of urban commuters. Air services provide for a large proportion of long distance passenger travel.

Road passenger vehicle activity

In the year ended 31 October 2005 Australia's 11 million (mill.) registered passenger vehicles travelled an estimated 155 billion km (table 24.10), each averaging 14,100 km per year. Just over 421,500 motor cycles travelled 1.4 billion km, while the fleet of just over 62,000 buses travelled 1.9 billion km.
24.10 MOTOR VEHICLE USE, By state/territory of registration - 2005(a)

Passenger vehicles
Motor cycles
Buses

TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED (mill. km)

New South Wales
48 662
*337
541
Victoria
40 398
*401
*406
Queensland
31 457
*362
*416
South Australia
10 948
*92
131
Western Australia
16 263
*157
*224
Tasmania
3 767
*27
42
Northern Territory
923
*18
*65
Australian Capital Territory
2 651
*35
*30
Australia
155 068
1 429
1 856

NUMBER OF VEHICLES(b)

New South Wales
3 357 074
114 019
17 534
Victoria
2 980 353
107 613
13 146
Queensland
2 063 409
97 551
14 161
South Australia
903 868
29 625
3 902
Western Australia
1 178 643
53 033
8 194
Tasmania
267 501
9 216
1 959
Northern Territory
71 801
3 436
2 561
Australian Capital Territory
187 857
7 055
893
Australia
11 010 506
421 549
62 350

* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution
(a) Year ended 31 October 2005.
(b) The average number of vehicles registered for the 12 months. Includes registered vehicles that did not travel during the year.
Source: Survey of Motor Vehicle Use, Australia (9208.0).


Rail passenger activity

The passenger operations of rail operators are shown in table 24.11. Between 2003-04 and 2004-05 urban heavy rail and tram/light rail passenger numbers increased by 0.4% and 4.0% respectively, while non-urban passenger numbers were unchanged. Heavy rail accounted for 79% of urban rail passenger operations in 2004-05.

24.11 RAIL PASSENGER OPERATIONS

Urban
Heavy rail
Tram and light rail
Total
Non-urban
Total
mill. passengers
mill. passengers
mill. passengers
mill. passengers
mill. passengers

2003-04
476
125
601
9
610
2004-05
478
130
607
9
616

Source: Australasian Railway Association Inc.


Domestic air passenger activity

At 30 June 2006 three major domestic airlines operated in Australia - Qantas, Virgin Blue and Jetstar. Regional airlines provided connecting services to the regional airports. There are 256 regulated airports in Australia and its external territories.

Passenger departures were 7.2% higher in 2006, compared with 2005 (table 24.12), while the percentage of vacant seat-kilometres was steady at 21%. In 2006 domestic airlines accounted for 88% of total Australian domestic passenger departures, and regional airlines 12%.

24.12 DOMESTIC AIRLINE ACTIVITY(a)

2005
2006

Passenger departures(b)
Domestic airlines '000
35 895
38 424
Regional airlines '000
4 854
5 250
Total '000
40 749
43 674
Other activity (domestic airlines only)
Passenger-kilometres performed(c) mill.
43 339
46 933
Seat-kilometres available(d) mill.
55 059
59 388
Percentage of vacant seat-kilometres %
21.3
21.0

(a) Includes estimates for regional airlines data.
(b) The unit of measurement is traffic on board (which includes transit traffic). Includes revenue passengers only.
(c) The sum for all flights of the number of passengers on each flight multiplied by the distance travelled.
(d) The sum for all flights of the number of seats on a flight multiplied by distance travelled.
Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.
The number of domestic passengers boarding airlines at the principal airports in Australia is shown in table 24.13. In 2006 all principal airports recorded increases in passenger movements compared with 2005. The strongest growth was recorded in Perth and Townsville (both 14%), followed by Launceston (9%). The lowest growth was recorded in Canberra (3%) and Hobart (1%).

24.13 DOMESTIC PASSENGER MOVEMENTS(a)

2005
2006
Principal airport
'000
'000

Sydney
(b)18 940
20 119
Melbourne
16 505
17 277
Brisbane
12 103
12 943
Adelaide
(b)5 262
5 592
Perth
4 755
5 430
Canberra
2 525
2 613
Hobart
1 600
1 618
Darwin
(b)1 111
1 186
Cairns
2 843
2 967
Coolangatta
3 243
3 423
Townsville
1 151
1 308
Launceston
887
963

(a) The number of passengers on board arriving at or departing from each airport. Includes passengers in transit, who are counted as both arrivals and departures at airports through which they transit.
(b) Includes estimates for unreported data.
Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.


International air passenger activity

Passengers arriving or departing Australia primarily travel by air.

Of total international passengers (21.5 million) carried to and from Australia in 2006, 4.9 million travelled between Australia and New Zealand and 3.7 million travelled between Australia and Singapore (table 24.14).

24.14 SCHEDULED INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO AND FROM AUSTRALIA - 2006

Inbound
Outbound
Total
Country to/from
'000 passengers
'000 passengers
'000 passengers

Argentina
20.2
19.0
39.2
Austria
89.5
97.0
186.6
Bahrain
51.7
49.3
101.0
Brunei
71.9
70.2
142.1
Canada
53.6
59.5
113.1
Chile
29.9
31.1
61.1
China (excl. SARs & Taiwan)
298.8
273.0
571.8
Cook Islands
0.4
0.5
0.8
Fiji
265.2
265.1
530.3
Germany
44.5
46.0
90.5
Guam
12.0
12.0
24.0
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
894.0
847.7
1 741.7
India
32.3
30.0
62.3
Indonesia
236.3
243.1
479.4
Japan
784.1
785.8
1 569.9
Korea, Republic of (South)
212.5
206.2
418.7
Malaysia
554.1
547.0
1 101.0
Mauritius
27.0
25.1
52.0
Nauru
2.3
2.2
4.5
New Caledonia
63.9
64.0
127.9
New Zealand
2 445.2
2 469.9
4 915.1
Papua New Guinea
76.2
75.8
152.0
Philippines
76.5
69.6
146.1
Singapore
1 902.5
1 788.8
3 691.3
Solomon Islands
14.6
14.6
29.2
South Africa
114.8
104.4
219.1
Tahiti
22.2
23.2
45.4
Taiwan
100.3
100.1
200.4
Thailand
499.7
490.5
990.2
Tonga
10.3
9.9
20.2
United Kingdom
379.8
385.6
765.4
United Arab Emirates
472.6
458.5
931.1
United States of America
833.4
832.2
1 665.6
Vanuatu
46.0
45.2
91.2
Vietnam
80.5
84.8
165.4
Western Samoa
16.9
17.3
34.1
Total
10 835.7
10 644.3
21 480.0

Source: Department of Transport and Regional Services.


Graph 24.15 shows the number of international passengers who travelled through each of Australia's international airports in 2006. Sydney's share of total international passenger traffic was 46%, followed by Melbourne (20%) and Brisbane (18%).

24.15 International passengers, Australian international airports - 2006
Graph: 24.15 International passengers, Australian international airports—2006







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