Successful and transformative

The ability of our major airports to accommodate this significant growth in air travel has relied exclusively on billions of dollars of private investment that would have otherwise come from the pockets of tax payers under a Government ownership model. This private investment had led to huge improvements in the infrastructure, capacity and efficiency of our major airports.

If we consider just the three airports celebrating their 20th anniversary of private ownership, the transformation over that time has been quite remarkable. Each of these airports have undertaken significant terminal redevelopment and expansion projects that have seen passengers provided with a greatly improved travelling experience. These improvements range from developing a wide selection of designer shops and quality food and beverage offerings, through to the simple modern conveniences we now almost take for granted, like free high-speed internet access.

Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth have devoted significant effort and resources to either re-developing or constructing brand new terminals to ensure that the passenger experience is as streamlined, enjoyable and effortless as possible. In recent years this investment has seen the redevelopment of Brisbane Airport’s award winning international terminal, the expansion and upgrade of T3 for Virgin Australia at Perth airport, as well as the development of the brand new T4 at Melbourne Airport. This investment has become increasingly important due both to the increasing number of people travelling, as well as an unprecedented focus on security and border clearance measures. While airports work closely with the Government on ensuring effective and efficient measures are in place, there is also a considerable focus on investing in technological solutions that can speed up the process. Perhaps the most notable example of this in recent years was the evolution of smart gates, which has undoubtedly transformed the border clearance process. However, this is only the beginning and the role of technology in transforming the passenger experience will only continue to grow.

Aside from the investment in the airport facilities and services that passengers enjoy, there is a staggering amount of work that goes into maintaining and upgrading the essential aeronautical infrastructure that underpins each airport’s entire operation. Like many major airports across the country, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are all investing heavily in airside infrastructure to minimise aircraft congestion and ensure that flights can arrive and depart in a safe and efficient manner.

Brisbane Airport is investing $1.35 billion in its new parallel runway, which is expected to be operational by 2020 and be delivering a regional economic benefit of around $5 billion per year by 2035. Melbourne Airport undertook a 64,000 m2 taxiway slab replacement program and 45,000 m2 taxiway expansion project, both of which ensured the continued safe movement of aircraft and generated an additional 21 aircraft parking bays. Perth Airport has committed $45 million to commence the technical studies and approvals process for the development of a new 3000m long and 45m wide runway, as well as investing $36 million in upgrading its airfield to Category III infrastructure to improve runway visibility in inclement weather.

“Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are all investing heavily in airside infrastructure.”

While these projects are very significant in their own right, they only scratch the surface of the myriad of other initiatives and improvements that are taking place at airports all over the country. It’s also worth remembering that our major airports remain over 85 per cent Australian owned by Australian superannuation funds, so the investment in our critical infrastructure and the benefits it delivers helps drive our economy.

While we observe the challenges currently facing several other infrastructure sectors as they begin the transition to private ownership, perhaps there are some valuable lessons that can be learned from our major airports.