Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has begun talking with airline partners as it considers how and where to integrate a third terminal into the international airport.
This comes as estimates show the airport will be expected to cater to 50 million passengers annually by 2040. A third terminal will relieve pressure on its two existing terminals that already service more than 60,000 travellers daily.
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BAC’s Stephen Beckett said the airport was running out of space. “We really need that extra capacity to make sure that Queenslanders and people visiting Queensland can get to the destinations they need.”
Brisbane, as the capital of Queensland, is connected to more than 50 Australian destinations via direct flights, along with numerous international cities. The airport plays a crucial role in the state’s tourism industry, which contributes $23 billion to the state’s economy each year.
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“We are running out of terminal capacity and we’re looking at the best location, together with our airline partners, for where that new terminal will go,” said BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff.
“We think it will be in between the two runaways because that’s the perfect location to minimise aircraft taxiing, and it is close to our current domestic terminal.
“We need more domestic capacity to cater for demand. A few of our domestic airlines will likely go into terminal three. We might even allocate some international traffic in there as well to provide for better connectivity between domestic and international flights.”
Mr Beckett said BAC had been working on the proposal for a new terminal for about 18 months and was collaborating with airline partners and the community.
“We are working now on what that would look like to make sure that Queenslanders and people visiting Queensland have got the terminal capacity they need,” he said.
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Brisbane Airport to go renewable
Queensland energy minister Mick de Brenni announced last week that BAC would be 100 per cent powered by renewable energy by 2025, under an agreement with government-owned power generator Stanwell.
Mr de Graaff said the deal would mean BAC could meet its net zero emissions commitment 25 years earlier than planned.
“This clean energy deal delivers on Brisbane Airport Corporation’s commitment to be a sustainable world leading airport city,” Mr de Graaff said.
BAC will source renewable energy from the Clarke Creek Wind Farm and Blue Grass Solar projects.
What do you think? Do you think Brisbane Airport needs a third terminal? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
