By Claire Ottaviano and Hamish Hastie
Perth airport will soon be able to welcome millions more passengers annually thanks to a multi-billion-dollar upgrade with a new terminal and runway complete by 2031.
The landmark $5 billion agreement between Qantas and Perth Airport is the largest ever private infrastructure development in Perth.
The new deal puts to an end an acrimonious five years between Qantas and Perth Airport that delayed negotiations as they battled over aeronautical fees.Credit: Artist's impression.
Qantas and Jetstar will relocate all services to a new terminal in the Airport Central precinct that will turn Western Australia into a major domestic and international hub for the airlines, and a gateway to the rest of the country.
The plan could add 4.4 million extra passenger movements to and from Perth annually by the time the new terminal opens, with its construction generating up to 3000 jobs.
Qantas Group chief executive Vanessa Hudson said Terminal 3 and 4 upgrades would enable Qantas to add more destinations from Perth, including Auckland and Johannesburg from mid-2025.
“This is an investment that is the largest airport investment that the Qantas Group have ever undertaken,” she said.
“It has been complex, and I wanted to just recognise you all today because what you’ve created will be a legacy.
“This is going to be, when completed, the largest airport hub complex outside of Sydney.”
The new deal puts to an end an acrimonious five years between Qantas and Perth Airport that delayed negotiations as they battled over aeronautical fees.
The relationship seemingly thawed as Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters took over Perth Airport, and Hudson took over Qantas from its previous chief executive Alan Joyce.
Late last year both parties abandoned Supreme Court legal battles they had been engaged in.
Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, WA Premier Roger Cook and Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti, Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters.Credit: Hamish Hastie
“We’ve been focused on this for a while and I have been involved with the negotiation for four years now myself,” Hudson said.
“There have been periods where there have been differences of opinion, but we have kept working at it.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard – it is an incredibly complex deal, don’t underestimate that, but we have put in the time and the energy to make sure that it is right.
“We are really happy to be where we are today.”
Premier Roger Cook was also eager to leave the past in the past.
“I want to also acknowledge the teams that have been on the long-haul flight in getting this deal done,” he said.
“This is a mega deal, it settles a whole range of historic issues which have been clarified between the two parties but really forges a pathway ahead to continue to make sure that Western Australia can continue to grow through this absolutely crucial piece of economic infrastructure.”
Qantas and Perth Airport have also agreed on the need for, and timing of, the new parallel runway which is expected to be open in 2028.
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