Bursting terminal a trial run for Games
A GOLD Coast Airport boss – bracing for peak passenger traffic during the Commonwealth Games – says recent record days have been a great trial run for the April influx.
The city’s gateway is often bursting at the seams, with Queensland Airports Ltd CEO Chris Mills last year telling the Bulletin it was “at or above capacity” at times.
Yesterday, after revealing a new record day for passenger arrivals and departures with 24,585 on January 7, he
said: “Gold Coast Airport has been operating at or above capacity during peak periods for some time now, and that obviously puts a strain on our operations.”
But Mr Mills said he was “confident” in the terminal’s
ability to handle Games peaks, including anticipated departure bottlenecks.
Mr Mills said Games arrivals were expected to be more spread out during weeks in the lead-up but indications were post-Games departures “will be more condensed”. In preparation, the airport has added self check-in and bag drop facilities to cut queuing in the terminal, while the airside apron for aircraft has four more spaces ready for the Games.
More than 65 “ambassadors” will be deployed for the Games to help travellers.
A dedicated Games lounge for athletes and officials is also being set up. Athletes will be able to check-in for departure offsite at the Games Village and have bags collected.
Mr Mills said this aimed to “decrease pressure on the terminal during the busy period”.
Recently, the Bulletin has observed overcrowded passengers lining up to board flights spilling into restaurant and dining areas. Seats at gates are also limited, forcing passengers to sit on floors or crowd around dining areas.
“Our busiest days in December and January have been a great rehearsal for the Commonwealth Games.
“We are expecting passenger numbers during the arrival and departure periods to be comparable to those peak days,” Mr Mills said.