Tourism boom: Brisbane Airport braced for 2.2m Easter travellers

Brisbane Airport’s $5 billion redevelopment faces its biggest test with a staggering number of travellers predicted over the Easter holidays. Check out the busiest days for travel.

Brisbane Airport officials are adamant the facility’s multibillion-dollar redevelopment won’t lead to travel chaos during the Easter holiday rush.

Easter is traditionally one of the busiest periods for travel of the year and domestic commuters have been concerned at long queues spilling out onto the footpath during peak travel times. However, airport officials insist the lines are no longer than before the redevelopment started, with maximum wait times to clear security at the domestic terminal rarely exceeding 10 minutes.

An estimated 2.2 million passengers will travel through the airport over the Easter holiday period, with “super peak” days predicted for this Thursday, Good Friday, April 26 and April 27.

Brisbane Airport Head of Terminal Operations Stacey Pollard and Senior Project Manager Mohamed El Gubbi check out the facility’s multibillion-dollar redevelopment. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The numbers represent a nine per cent jump for domestic and a 12 per cent increase for international travellers compared to last Easter and come during the biggest airport terminal expansion in almost 40 years.

Airports across the country are revamping their security screening arrangements following a mandate from the Federal government requiring new systems be installed by December 31.

Within months Brisbane travellers with carry-on luggage will be able to walk directly from the domestic terminal car park or train station through security screening on a new mezzanine level and straight to their boarding gates.

Brock, Natalie and Ronan Sinclair at Southbank. Queensland has become one of the most popular Easter holiday destinations. Picture: John Gass.

However, with much of the terminal now a construction site, temporary facilities have been installed, leading to lines of commuters waiting outside the terminal during busy periods.

Brisbane Airport’s head of terminal operations Stacey Pollard apologised for the disruptions but said everything was being done to ensure the traveller experience was as smooth as possible.

Brisbane Airport Head of Terminal Operations Stacey Pollard. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“This is the biggest transformation of the terminal since it was opened in 1988, to meet Commonwealth security requirements (and) the temporary facilities that we’ve put in place are actually more spacious and provide greater screening capacity than the areas they’ve replaced,” she said.

“By the end of the year, brand new screening areas with next-generation equipment will be ready for passengers.

“This project is being conducted while still accommodating up to 60,000 passengers every single day through the domestic terminal – it is truly like running open heart surgery while running a marathon, because this building never stops.

“During super peaks there is some queuing onto the forecourt, and we apologise to passengers as well as deploying team members to direct passengers undercover.”

The entrance to a temporary security screening station at Brisbane Airport during the multibillion-dollar redevelopment. Picture: Patrick Woods.

While the Easter period will see a constant stream of travellers through the airport, those numbers are expected to be more evenly spread than the intense peaks generated by commuting workers.

The airport is now two years into a 10-year, $5 billion redevelopment, with security screening areas typically used by Qantas and Jetstar passengers expected to be completed by mid-year.

A new car park boasting 1700 spaces is expected to be completed by the year’s end, while self check-in and automated bag-drop facilities for all airlines and a new baggage system boosting security, capacity, reliability and sustainability are also in the works.

New security screening technology is being introduced as part of the Brisbane Airport redevelopment. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The advanced new security measures are expected to drastically improve waiting times at screening points as items such as laptops will no longer need to be removed from bags.

The first concrete pour of the new mezzanine level was carried out on Thursday night with progress largely unaffected by Queensland’s wild summer weather due to most of the works taking place indoors.

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