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Gold Coast Airport has said it wants to be a “destination in its own right” as it unveils its draft 2024 Master Plan.
The airport, which currently sees more than 6.2 million passengers a year, expects that number to increase by around 13 million by 2044. Its draft Master Plan, available online, envisions a hub for communities in the Gold Coast and northern NSW, with a particular focus on the next eight years.
“We want to be more than an airport, we’re committed to creating a mixed-use precinct that would further benefit the local community, with the addition of a retail village, health and wellness hub and a conference and tech centre,” said Queensland Airports Limited CEO Amelia Evans.
“The upgrades proposed under this Master Plan are about embracing innovation and new technologies that will revolutionise air travel and enhance the customer experience.
“We’ve placed a strong focus on accessibility, ensuring the airport precinct is seamlessly connected with the rest of the city with the delivery of a public front-of-terminal plaza servicing both light and heavy rail.”
The plan includes smart aviation technologies such as biometric check-in and a digital passenger experience that could “anticipate customer behaviour and provide personalised travel suggestions based on travel history”, the airport said.
It also reflects sustainability goals, including reaching Net Zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, said Evans.
“This means driving initiatives that will reduce emissions such as the installation of solar panels, facilitating greater use of electric vehicles on the precinct, and preparing for the transition to lower carbon aviation practices such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF),” she said.
Gold Coast Airport is the sixth-busiest in Australia and the largest of four airports owned by Queensland Airports Limited, which also owns Longreach, Mount Isa and Townsville Airports.
The airport in 2022 completed a $260 million expansion of its southern terminal, which doubled its footprint by 30,000 square metres.
“This transformational project is the centrepiece of a wider $500 million airport investment program – the first step in delivering a highly-connected, productive and future-focused precinct,” said Evans.
Additionally, the airport was last year chosen as the third operating base for low-cost carrier Bonza, which flies from the Gold Coast to Albury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Darwin, Gladstone, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne (Avalon), Melbourne (Tullamarine), Mount Isa, Mildura, Rockhampton, Townsville and the Whitsunday Coast.
