Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) has said it is ‘consulting with its airline partners’ on the shape of a future Terminal 3, as it forecasts 50 million passengers a year by 2040. 

 

The airport told TRBusiness that it is unable to share specific information about the terminal’s commercial areas – namely retail and F&B units – as plans for the terminal are still in their infancy. However, TRBusiness understands retail and F&B will play an important role in ensuring the success of the new terminal.

 

“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 Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of Brisbane Airport Corporation.

 

“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 3. We might even allocate some international traffic in there as well to provide for better connectivity between domestic and international flights.”

 

Brisbane describes itself as ‘a uniquely positioned hub’, flying to 53 Australian destinations; more than any other airport. BNE is also well positioned as a gateway for flights from North America and Southeast Asia.

 

Sustainability front and centre for Brisbane

BNE currently employs 24,000 which will increase to 34,000 in the coming decade.

 

“Terminal 3 will be state of the art so that will be a terminal we’ve built for the 2030s,” added de Graaff. “Sustainability will be front and centre, as will accessibility.

 

“We know that come 2032, Brisbane Airport will provide the first and last impression for all Olympic and Paralympic visitors and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

 

Currently Brisbane Airport is planning to invest more than $5 billion in the next 10 years to upgrade both terminals, build extra car parking, develop a regional aeromedical hub, expand Skygate and DFO, and build more freight facilities.

 

“We are well-placed to further develop the airport’s air connectivity to meet travel demand, but equally important is BNE’s connectivity on the ground,” added de Graaff.

 

“All levels of government need to collaborate to ensure fast, reliable and affordable road and public transport connections for travellers and workers to BNE. We need mass transit connections not just to the CBD and Brisbane suburbs, but also the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.”