How the leap year helped Newcastle Airport surpass pre-COVID numbers

In February, 95,250 passengers flew in or out of the airport, eclipsing the 2019 figure by 1469.

The extra leap year day allowed the airport to sneak past the pre-COVID number, but the daily passenger average is slightly below 2019, falling just 65 passengers short.

Newcastle Airport chief executive Peter Cock said the achievement was still a major milestone.

"The more people use their local airport, the better for our chances in securing new routes, so passenger numbers like this are key to our expansion," Dr Cock said.

"As we approach Easter and the school holidays, we encourage travellers to book their flights ahead to get the best deals and pre-book parking to ensure an easier start to their holidays."

The pandemic interrupted Newcastle Airport's booming passenger numbers, which had a record year in 2019 with 1.284 million travellers through its doors.

QT Hotel general manager Michael Stamboulidis said his hotel had a record month in February, as corporate travel continues to bounce back.

Mr Stamboulidis, who is also the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group chair, said the city was seeing an increase in visitors from Adelaide, and the demand had led to additional flights

"In flight demand to Newcastle directly impacts on hotels and occupancy rates, which flows on to food and beverage," he said.

The region's hotel occupancy rate in February increased 3 per cent, but it was still 2 per cent behind 2019.

"We've had several hotels open since then, so that's actually a really positive sign," Mr Stamboulidis said.

"There's a feeling in the air that Newcastle is about to turn the page and explode in popularity.

"Lots of people are preparing for this and the next step is making sure we are not just domestically ready but internationally ready - the airport upgrade that's happening is a big part of that."