Capital expansion

Growing pains for Canberra Airport

Canberra’s once quiet airport is positioning itself to take on more flights from around Australia and even as an alternative airport for the Sydney basin. The Australian Airports Association’s 2007 Capital City Airport of the Year is close to bursting at the seams.

Canberra Airport bustles with activity at peak times as Virgin Blue and Qantas jets and QantasLink Dash 8s jostle for space and gates on the tarmac, departing passengers jostle for seats inside the terminal, particularly at Qantas’s gates and inside the Qantas Club, and departing travellers jostle in lengthy queues outside waiting for rare Canberra taxis.