Brisbane Airport Begins $3.2B Upgrade

New baggage handling system at Brisbane Airport

A rendering of the future baggage handling system at Brisbane Airport.

Credit: Brisbane Airport Corporation

SINGAPORE—Brisbane Airport (BNE) has commenced work on a A$5 billion ($3.18 billion) upgrade program to prepare its infrastructure ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games and to meet the needs of the growing Australian city.

Known as Future BNE, the scheme will see the implementation of more than 150 individual projects to improve the existing domestic and international terminals, as well as the construction of a new terminal.

Twenty million passengers pass through BNE annually, the airport says, and it is forecasting 10 million more in the next 10 years. Airport staff numbers are also expected to grow from 20,000 to 30,000 by the time the city hosts the 2032 Olympics.

“We’re investing now to get ahead of the population growth curve, so we’re ready for 2032 and beyond,” Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff says in a statement.

Most of the work will be carried out in the 35-year-old domestic terminal. A new mezzanine level is set to connect the airport’s “Skywalk” walkway with security, and computed tomography (CT) technology will be installed to comply with the Australian government’s Strengthening Aviation Security Initiative standards. Sydney requires the CT capabilities to be in place by December 2025, and BNE says it expects to meet that deadline.

Alstef and Brock Solutions will integrate three separate baggage-handling systems into a single system, in order to both expand the handling capacity and improve security features. Other upgrades include new self-check-in features and expanded retail options. BNE is also aiming to have their airside vehicle fleet be 70% electric by 2026.

CAPA – Centre for Aviation and OAG Schedules Analyser data shows BNE, which handles 546,613 weekly seats, is currently Australia’s third-busiest airport, after Sydney and Melbourne.

Chen Chuanren

Chen Chuanren is the Southeast Asia and China Editor for the Aviation Week Network’s (AWN) Air Transport World (ATW) and the Asia-Pacific Defense Correspondent for AWN, joining the team in 2017.