Airport rises as hub for Qantas

BRISBANE Airport is ambitiously positioning itself to become Australia’s No.1 international hub.

The plan was given a major lift yesterday, when Qantas announced it would base half of its new long-distance Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner fleet in Brisbane from mid-2018, opening the way for a range of new routes to major US cities.

A deal between the airline and the Queensland Government will create 470 jobs.

“The Dreamliner is one of the new generation of highly efficient, ultra long-range passenger aircraft,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“It will put Brisbane in range of direct flights to cities including Dallas, Las Vegas, Vancouver, Chicago and Seattle, opening up new markets for business and tourism.”

Brisbane Airport Corporation managing director and chief executive Julieanne Alroe said it opened a new world of opportunities for tourism, trade, investment, business and education.

“For Queensland travellers, it will mean having access to more non-stop, ultra long-haul routes direct from Brisbane in an aircraft that offers unparalleled passenger comfort, while also positioning Brisbane as the new gateway for access into North America,” she said.

While Sydney and Melbourne airports are nearing capacity, Brisbane’s new $1.3 billion parallel runway open- ing in 2020, will more than double its number of flights.

By 2037, at least 1000 planes will arrive or depart daily. That’s a flight landing or taking off every 40 seconds at peak times.

International passenger numbers – which have doubled during the past 15 years to just under six million – are projected to hit at least 13 million within the next 20 years.

“This really is the gamechanger,” Brisbane Airport Corporation general manager for airline and retail Andrew Brodie said.

“With this second runway, we have the ability to position this airport, this city, this state, on the world map.”

Melbourne’s third runway is unlikely to be built before 2024, while a new Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek won’t see its first aircraft until at least 2026.

“We have a fantastic opportunity as an airport to capitalise on that over the next decade,” Mr Brodie said.

“The vision is to be the gateway for Australia.”

Brisbane now handles up to 50 aircraft an hour at peak, compared with 80 in Sydney and 60 in Melbourne. Its capacity will soar to 100, eclipsing “megahubs” such as Hong Kong and Singapore.

“The sky is literally the limit,” said Mr Brodie, whose team is eyeing new international routes to add to the existing 30.

Targets for the next decade also include London, Amsterdam and Johannesburg.