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Brisbane Airport says it is bolstering aerobridge safety, including replacing older bridges and planning for automated docking trials.
Testing and installation is ongoing on 20 new aerobridges in Brisbane featuring “improved safety and visibility”, with the first having arrived from New Zealand in February following a five-year design phase. It follows the release of an ATSB report into a pair of aerobridge collisions in 2025.
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“Installation is now underway with a staged rollout across the international and domestic terminals, with each aerobridge taking around three months to demolish, install, test, and commission,” the airport said in a statement.
“The replacement program will support improved safety, compatibility with modern aircraft, increased reliability and operational resilience, and standardises equipment across both terminals, and is part of the $5 billion Future BNE program.
“Brisbane Airport is committed to continuous improvement and ensuring the highest standards of safety for passengers, aircraft and staff across all operations.”
In its report this month into the two collisions last year, the ATSB concluded aerobridge operators were unable to see two 737s before respective collisions with their windshields.
The same aerobridge, at Brisbane’s Gate 82, smashed the right windshield of Qantas 737-800 VH-VZG on 18 June and the left windshield of Fiji Airways 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAE on 26 July 2025, though no injuries were reported on either occasion.
Ryan Both, aviation executive general manager at Brisbane Airport, thanked the ATSB for its “thorough investigation” and said safety is “at the heart of Brisbane Airport’s operations”.
“As stewards of safety, we provide the infrastructure, standards and training frameworks that underpin safe aerobridge use, and we work hand‑in‑hand with our airline and ground‑handling partners who operate this equipment every day,” he said.
“Together, we are committed to delivering safe, consistent outcomes for every aircraft and every shift. Our investment in 20 new aerobridges ensures all operators have access to modern, consistent and safe equipment for years to come.”
The airport says it has also “strengthened operating procedures and updated the training package for all aerobridge operators, including enhanced visibility requirements, risk identification, and reinforced safe‑approach practices”, and “created a new role focused on airside performance of assets and operators, including aerobridges and supporting infrastructure, with regular audits of operators and processes, and working with all airlines and ground handlers to improve safety”.
“Brisbane Airport is committed to continuous improvement and ensuring the highest standards of safety for passengers, aircraft and staff across all operations,” it said.
Another Brisbane aerobridge in May 2025 had punctured the fuselage of an Air New Zealand 777, forcing it to return unpressurised to Auckland for repairs.
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