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Friday, 18 September 2026: Virgin Australia is preparing for one of its busiest travel periods of the year, with the spring school holidays coinciding with the AFL and NRL finals series.
The airline expects to operate an average of 420 flights per day during the September peak period*, nearly 50 more than its regular daily average, with more than 500 flights scheduled on the busiest flying days around the AFL Grand Final weekend, from 24 to 27 September.
Last year’s September to October peak included the busiest day for the network** in Virgin Australia’s history, and strong demand is again expected this year as school holidays coincide with the AFL and NRL finals series.
Virgin Australia Chief Operating Officer Chris Snook said the airline’s teams across the business had been preparing for the busy travel period.
“September is traditionally our busiest period of the year, and the culmination of spring school holidays alongside the AFL and NRL finals series means more guests will be travelling across the country,” he said.
“For us, that equates to more than 20,000 total daily seats to Melbourne from Brisbane, Sydney and Perth between 23 and 29 September, with up to 64 flights a day between Melbourne and Sydney alone.”
“As the official airline partner of the AFL, we’re also closely monitoring demand and will add more flights where possible to help fans get to the Grand Final.”
“Operationally, we’re in a strong position having recorded our best on time departure result for August since 2018^. We are carrying this focus forward into the holiday peak to help ensure we get families, fans and frequent flyers to their destinations as planned.”
“That focus extends to additional planning to maximise aircraft and crew availability and strengthen customer recovery options on our busiest days.”
In terms of domestic demand, travellers not heading to the footy finals are flocking to the Gold Coast, Cairns and the Sunshine Coast – which are proving popular with Australians seeking out the early spring sunshine that Queensland is famous for.
Internationally, Bali, Fiji, Vanuatu and Queenstown remain popular short-haul destinations for leisure travel during the school holidays.
Virgin Australia is also seeing strong demand in Tasmania, with Hobart and Launceston proving popular with travellers looking for a cooler climate.
Guests travelling during the September peak are encouraged to plan ahead, arrive at the airport early and check their flight information via the Virgin Australia website or app before leaving home.
ENDS
Notes to editor:
- *This year’s September peak period runs from Saturday 19 September to Sunday 11 October, inclusive.
- **The 2025 September peak period included flights between Saturday, 20 September to Sunday, 12 October 2025. The busiest day in Virgin Australia’s history was seen Friday, 3 October 202,5 with 79,409 guests travelling across the network and 524 flights operated.
- ^Excluding the COVID period between 2021-2022 August.
- The 420 average number of daily flights is across Virgin Australia’s domestic (VA) and international (VAI) network.
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