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Federal government approves Archerfield Airport runway extension plan

written by australianaviation.com.au | June 25, 2019

A file image of Archerfield Airport. (Paul Sadler)
A file image of Archerfield Airport. (Paul Sadler)

The federal government’s approval of the proposed Archerfield Airport runway extension has been welcomed by the airport’s general manager, Heather Mattes.

The works include lengthening the main runway, providing runway end safety areas and installing new LED runway lighting.

The $17.5 million upgrade will also entail strengthening of the runway and adjoining taxiway, new LED taxiway lighting and other safety improvements, including Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPI).

Mattes said the investment would modernise ageing infrastructure and enhance the airport’s capability, helping to cater for anticipated growth in aircraft movements and ensuring that Archerfield Airport would continue to play a role in supporting Brisbane Airport.

“The improvements have been foreshadowed in successive airport master plans since 2000, and they will provide a range of safety, environmental, economic and operational benefits for the types and sizes of aircraft currently using the airport,” Mattes said in a statement on June 19.

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The program dubbed Archerfield Airport Project AIM (Airside Infrastructure Modernisation) embodies aspects of the Archerfield Airport Master Plan 2017-2037 approved by the federal government in July 2017. Project AIM had been open for public comment from December 2018 to March 2019.

Archerfield Airport is located about 11 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD. Its main runway runs east-west and is 1,481 metres long and 30 metres wide. The Master Plan included a 160 metre extension of the eastern end, as well as strengthening of the surface, to cater for freight, corporate, aeromedical/emergency rescue and regular public transport (RPT) aircraft.

The Master Plan also flagged a possible longer term option of building a new, longer runway between the main runway and the smaller 1,100-metre, parallel runway to its south.

Along with upgrades to taxiways and relocation of facilities such as the fuel farm and control tower, the Master Plan also proposesd realignment of the existing grass runway, currently running south-west/north-east, to more of a north/south orientation perpendicular to the main runways. The re-orientation would free up land adjacent to the main runway to be used for high-end aviation and make the main runways more usable, according to the Master Plan.

The full Major Development Plan can be found on the Archerfield Airport website.

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Comments (2)

  • David

    says:

    this would make it much easier for flights to eg. Sydney Bankstown. Currently the largest aircraft that could do Archerfield/Bankstown hassle free would be charters using a Saab 340 or a smaller Dash 8 such as a -100 or maybe a -200.

    There’s huge demand for such flights. Not everyone wants to go anywhere near Sydney CBD. Many want to go west & with only 34-36 seats, not hard to fill a Saab 340 or Dash 8-100.

  • ian

    says:

    a Saab 340 could do Archerfield to Bankstown in 95 mins, almost the same as the big boys, without the hassles of big airports, ie. expensive parking miles away, security, long walks to gates, delays, delays. delays. Fares could probably be same or cheaper than peak hour flights BNE/SYD/BNE Mon-Fri, which are usually around $450-$500 return booked a few days out on QF/VA.

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