Non-stop flights to Europe and US coming within a decade says Brisbane Airport boss

NON-STOP flights from Brisbane to major destinations such as London and New York will be possible within the decade as part of a shift away from major aviation hubs.

Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff inspecting work on the new second runway. Picture Peter Wallis

NON-STOP flights from Brisbane to major destinations such as London and New York will be possible within the decade as part of a shift away from major aviation hubs.

Brisbane Airport Corporation Gert-Jan de Graaff said a new generation of aircaft able to fly longer distances will negate the need for passengers to stopover in traditional hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai.

“Aircraft are becoming more fuel efficient and lighter so these long-haul routes will become a possibility,” said Mr de Graaff. “We are a city of 2.5 million people so we are not huge but we are in the right position for these long-haul flights.”

How the new $1.3b Brisbane Airport runway will change the city

Qantas has been flying Perth-to-London direct flights since last year on its Dreamliner and has foreshadowed a 20-hour Sydney-to-London service by 2022. Such ultra-long-haul trips are attractive to business-class passengers because they do not require a lay over.

The plans come as Brisbane Airport continues work on its $1.3 billion parallel runway, which will give it a similar capacity to Singapore and Hong Kong airports when it is completed next year. “We currently have the capacity to handle 50 aircraft movements an hour but with the new runway we can increase that to over 100,” said Mr de Graaff.

But he said better access to the airport would be needed in the years ahead. “The roads around the airport are perfect but we will be going from 25 million to 60 million passengers a year so will need more roads and better public transport,” he said.