South Australia’s capital will host the summit again in 2028. It’s not yet clear where the event will be held in 2027.
As the first non-capital city host, the event in Cairns drew more than 350 delegates and a who’s who of Australian aviation stakeholders, as well as airline leaders from further afield – from New Zealand to Indonesia and the Philippines. According to Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the 2025 summit was worth an estimated $1.2 million in direct spend to the destination.
The return of the aviation summit to Adelaide follows the city’s airport securing all of its pre-pandemic airlines in May, after Cathay Pacific committed to restarting its seasonal Adelaide-Hong Kong service in November. Some new routes are set to begin flying out of Adelaide later this year, but some are seasonal rather than year-round.
“Locking in the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific for not one, but two years, is a huge coup for South Australia, and a reflection of our global reputation as an industry leader in this important sector,” said South Australia’s tourism minister, Zoe Bettison.
“The summit put[s] South Australia at the forefront of the minds of key aviation decision makers, benefiting the many industries and jobs that rely on strong airline access, particularly for tourism, international education, trade, defence and resources.
“I have no doubt the hundreds of aviation leaders will be impressed by our welcoming hospitality and diverse tourism offerings, and be inspired to tell the world that South Australia is worth investing in.”
It hasn’t been a long time between drinks for Adelaide as far as this event is concerned, with the city last hosting the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific in 2022.
“Following the tremendous success of our 2022 summit in Adelaide, this strategic partnership reflects our confidence in Adelaide’s growing significance as an aviation hub and its exceptional capabilities in hosting world-class business events,” said CAPA’s events director, Claudia Kunz.
Adelaide Airport’s managing director, Brenton Cox, said the airport was currently seeing significant passenger growth, especially in the international space.
“Our excellent Team Adelaide relationships with airlines and city-pair airports are critical to this success,” said Cox.
“Events such as this are incredibly important in building and maintaining those relationships.
“Having the eyes of the global aviation market on Adelaide provides us with an invaluable opportunity to highlight South Australia as a leading tourism and business events destination.”
