Canberra Airport to get $250m upgrade

A report in The Australian says that Canberra International Airport will get a long-awaited facelift with a $250 million works program destined to give it a bigger edge with overseas carriers and make it one of Australia’s greenest operations.

The biggest development in the airport’s 81-year history will begin in July and will ultimately deliver a new multi-use terminal that will be twice the size of the airport’s existing facility.

The development is likely to give Canberra additional ammunition in its push to become an alternative to Sydney Airport.

The first phase is due to be completed by 2010, with the second completed by about 2011-12.

Managing director Stephen Byron said the airport was designed to meet the twin objectives of catering for future growth and making Canberra, “the most modern, user-friendly, internationally capable airport in Australia”.

He said it was the culmination of more than nine years’ work by management and the airport’s owner, Canberra businessman Terry Snow.

“It’s a big project for any company in Australia,” Mr Byron said.

“It’ a big project for a small family company in Canberra, I can assure you.”

Key features of the new terminal will include a doubling of check-in counters from 16 to 32, a trebling of the baggage belt capacity and the installation of two new aerobridges to take the total to six.

The number of car parking spaces will more than double to 2500 and lounge capacity will quadruple to 6000sqm.

One of its most interesting features will be a tri-generation plant that will allow the airport to cut greenhouse carbon dioxide emissions by 75 per cent.

The plant will use excess heat from a natural gas electricity generation plant to heat the terminal in winter and cool it in summer. The terminal will also recycle water and use recycled materials in its construction.

“I think the challenge is to build the best terminal in Australia, even beyond when the others build the newest,” Mr Byron said.

The airport chief also expected the new terminal to trigger greater interest from international carriers, in much the same way the new terminal in Adelaide had. He said New Zealand and Singapore were the most likely initial candidates, but Dubai and Hong Kong were possibilities.

“We could easily handle seven to 10 international flights a week straight off the wood,” he said.

“We will include in this terminal international capability, full customs and the like.” “We’ve obviously had enough discussions with the airlines to say it’s worth building facilities for that.”

The decision to proceed with the new terminal coincided with major improvements to the airport’s main runway and a big commitment by the ACT and federal governments to upgrade regional roads.

This will make the roads between the airport and the city a dual carriageway and alleviate current traffic problems.

Qantas will be the new terminal’s biggest tenant, with the airline saying yesterday it would spend $10million on improvements to its Canberra domestic terminal to relieve peak-hour congestion while it waits for the multi-user facility to be built.

The interim improvements will include expanded check-in facilities, an additional security lane, an improved baggage system and the addition of an aerobridge to handle peak traffic.

The airline will also upgrade and expand the Qantas club and open a new business lounge in late 2008.

Qantas executive general manager — service, Curtis Davies, said the new multi-user terminal would give the airline access to additional check-in counters, aerobridges and gate lounges as well as improved baggage facilities and lounges.

“Canberra has experienced strong domestic passenger growth for a number of years which has placed pressure on the airport’s infrastructure,” he said.

“The multi-user terminal will provide a sustainable long-term solution for the airport.”

Virgin Blue, which recently opened a new lounge in Canberra and will be re-instating Canberra-Sydney flights from February using Embraer jets under the Capital Jet banner, said it had closely consulted with airport authorities and fully supported the redevelopment.

A Report by The Mole