Sunshine Coast Airport has been named as the fastest growing major airport in Australia for the second consecutive month, with a passenger increase percentage more than three times its closest challenger.

The Commonwealth Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) data for August released yesterday showed Sunshine Coast Airport experienced a 14.5% rise in domestic and regional airline passenger numbers as well as a 24.6% increase in international travellers.

Overall, the Sunshine Coast experienced a 14.9% jump in total passengers in August compared to the same period 12 months ago.

The other two airports rounding out the top three positions were Cairns Airport (4.7% growth) and Melbourne Airport (3.7% growth).

In the same month, the Sunshine Coast to Melbourne route was the fastest growing city pair in the country, recording a massive 26.5% year-on-year growth for passengers and the highest load factor of all city pairs at 89%.