SafekipediaBrisbane Airport
Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience
Brisbane Airport (IATA: BNE, ICAO: YBBN) is an international airport serving Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a very busy place with many flights to different places in Australia and around the world. Lots of people use the airport every year.
In 2016, Brisbane Airport was named one of the best airports for timely flights. The airport is very big, covering a large area.
Brisbane Airport is an important place for Qantas and Virgin Australia, and also for other airlines like Jetstar. It has many buildings for different kinds of flights and two runways for planes. The airport also helps with important services like LifeFlight Australia and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
History
Eagle Farm Airport
Main article: Eagle Farm Airport
Brisbane's first airport was Eagle Farm Airport, built in 1925 on old agricultural land in Eagle Farm. It was near the Brisbane central business district and Domestic Terminal. Pilot Charles Kingsford Smith landed there in 1928 after flying across the Pacific in his plane, the Southern Cross. During World War II, the airport was used by the military and became the main airport for the city.
By the 1960s, Eagle Farm Airport could not handle Brisbane's growing needs. Many international flights had to stop in places like Darwin before reaching Brisbane.
1988 opening
The Federal Government decided to build a new airport northeast of Eagle Farm Airport. Construction started in June 1980 and finished in March 1988. The new airport was built on land that used to be Cribb Island. Sand from Moreton Bay was used to raise the land above water. The airport opened with a domestic terminal, two runways, and other important buildings.
In 1995, an international terminal was added, and the airport has grown since then.
Privatisation
In 1997, Brisbane Airport was bought by a group led by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) for $1.4 billion. Since then, BAC has managed the airport and made improvements without government money. Today, major investors include Queensland Investment Corporation, Igneo Infrastructure Partners, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, and IFM Investors.
New parallel runway
In 2007, the government approved a new runway. Construction started and took eight years because of the sand needed from Moreton Bay. The new runway opened in July 2020, with the first flight by Virgin Australia to Cairns.
Terminals
Brisbane Airport has two passenger terminals. The international terminal was built in 1995 and has 14 bays with aerobridges, including four for very large planes. It also has four layover bays and four levels for different airport activities.
The domestic terminal is a curved building with three satellite arms. It provides extra space for passengers and airlines. It serves different airlines in separate areas.
Plans are underway for a third terminal. This new terminal will handle both domestic and international flights. It is expected to open in the 2030s.
The airport also has special facilities for VIP and charter flights on both the North and South aprons.
Airlines and destinations
Qantas has special flights over Antarctica from Brisbane using Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes. These flights start from the Domestic Terminal. They offer a guided tour of Antarctica and then return to Australia. The whole trip takes about thirteen hours.
Traffic and statistics
Brisbane Airport had about 23 million passengers in one year in 2017. Experts think this number will grow to about 50 million passengers by 2035.
| Year | Domestic | International | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 3,018,951 | 576,663 | 3,595,614 |  8.4% |
| 1987 | 3,271,701 | 697,453 | 3,969,154 | 10.4% |
| 1988 | 3,941,211 | 958,795 | 4,900,006 | 23.5% |
| 1989 | 2,905,041 | 946,067 | 3,851,108 |  –21.4% |
| 1990 | 3,766,974 | 1,062,737 | 4,829,711 | 25.4% |
| 1991 | 5,013,256 | 1,202,170 | 6,215,426 | 28.7% |
| 1992 | 5,225,948 | 1,312,949 | 6,538,887 | 5.2% |
| 1993 | 5,611,900 | 1,542,211 | 7,154,111 | 9.4% |
| 1994 | 6,385,682 | 1,686,327 | 8,071,739 | 12.8% |
| 1995 | 6,924,291 | 1,965,327 | 8,889,618 | 10.1% |
| 1996 | 7,375,444 | 2,192,110 | 9,567,544 | 7.6% |
| 1997 | 7,470,083 | 2,294,900 | 9,764,983 | 2.1% |
| 1998 | 7,438,341 | 2,251,240 | 9,689,581 | –0.8% |
| 1999 | 7,833,436 | 2,375,767 | 10,209,203 | 5.4% |
| 2000 | 8,810,670 | 2,461,378 | 11,272,048 | 10.4% |
| 2001 | 9,946,073 | 2,547,720 | 12,493,793 | 10.8% |
| 2002 | 9,163,520 | 2,493,082 | 11,656,602 | –6.7% |
| 2003 | 10,105,366 | 2,549,444 | 12,654,810 | 8.6% |
| 2004 | 11,519,422 | 3,266,481 | 14,785,903 | 16.8% |
| 2005 | 12,102,609 | 3,606,690 | 15,709,299 | 6.2% |
| 2006 | 12,942,735 | 3,763,314 | 16,706,049 | 6.3% |
| 2007 | 13,972,336 | 3,921,752 | 17,894,088 | 7.1% |
| 2008 | 14,547,537 | 4,035,790 | 18,583,327 | 3.9% |
| 2009 | 14,595,924 | 4,117,171 | 18,713,095 | 0.7% |
| 2010 | 15,338,191 | 4,282,257 | 19,620,448 | 4.8% |
| 2011 | 15,888,983 | 4,444,867 | 20,333,850 | 3.6% |
| 2012 | 16,601,349 | 4,471,413 | 21,072,762 | 3.6% |
| 2013 | 16,775,697 | 4,669,141 | 21,444,838 | 1.8% |
| 2014 | 16,982,836 | 4,964,981 | 21,947,817 | 2.3% |
| 2015 | 16,786,974 | 5,238,522 | 22,025,496 | 0.4% |
| 2016 | 17,055,852 | 5,449,744 | 22,505,596 | 2.2% |
| 2017 | 17,219,926 | 5,729,341 | 22,949,267 | 2.0% |
| 2018 | 17,354,529 | 6,112,234 | 23,466,763 | 2.3% |
| 2019 | 17,580,142 | 6,425,564 | 24,005,706 | 2.3% |
| 2020 | 6,386,797 | 1,388,291 | 7,775,088 | –67.6% |
| 2021 | 7,658,654 | 247,999 | 7,906,653 | 1.7% |
| 2022 | 14,374,443 | 2,531,254 | 16,905,697 | 113.8% |
| 2023 | 16,343,097 | 4,845,468 | 21,188,565 | 25.3% |
| 2024 | 17,106,783 | 6,146,538 | 23,253,321 | 9.7% |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sydney | 3,594,184 | 228.8% |
| 2 | Melbourne | 2,806,475 | 256.4% |
| 3 | Cairns | 1,136,610 | 12.3% |
| 4 | Townsville | 818,348 | 18.8% |
| 5 | Perth | 737,276 | 156.7% |
| 6 | Adelaide | 713,245 | 58.0% |
| 7 | Mackay | 698,398 | 30.2% |
| 8 | Canberra | 593,364 | 102.7% |
| 9 | Newcastle | 450,206 | 112.0% |
| 10 | Rockhampton | 443,074 | 22.6% |
| 11 | Darwin | 328,808 | 26.2% |
| 12 | Proserpine | 293,453 | 20.2% |
| 13 | Hobart | 291,200 | 13.1% |
| 14 | Gladstone | 193,074 | 37.8% |
| 15 | Hamilton Island | 174,989 | -14.7% |
Ground transport
Road
Brisbane Airport has four car-parks open all day. There are two large covered car parks, one for international flights and one for domestic flights. Both have short and long-term parking. Qantas and Virgin Australia also have a service where a driver takes your car to a parking spot, but this is only at the domestic terminal. There are 9,000 parking spaces in total.
In 2009, a group was formed to make it easier to travel between Brisbane city center and the airport. They built the Airport Link road, which includes the longest tunnel in Australia at the time. This tunnel helped drivers avoid many traffic lights. Another project finished in 2009 improved roads leading to the airport.
Public transport
Rail
The airport has two train stations. The International Airport station is next to the international terminal, and the Domestic Airport station is next to the domestic terminal. These stations are owned and run by a private company called Airtrain Citylink. Trains go to Brisbane city center and some continue to the Gold Coast.
Bus
There is a free bus that goes between the two airport terminals and nearby shops and hotels.
Cycling and walking
Brisbane Airport has paths for cyclists and walkers that connect to a bigger network of bike paths in the area.
Future development projects
Brisbane Centre
The Brisbane FIR covers a big area. It includes parts of New South Wales, all of Queensland, most of the Northern Territory, and the northern half of Western Australia. It also includes the airspace over the Tasman Sea.
Brisbane Centre is next to Brisbane Tower at Brisbane Airport. It helps manage air traffic for most international flights into and out of Australia, except those over the Indian Ocean. It also handles domestic flights within this zone.
Airservices Australia uses Brisbane Centre to manage the airspace over the northern half of Australia. This area makes up 5% of the world's total airspace. Even though there are fewer big cities here, Brisbane Centre is still very important, especially for flights arriving or leaving Sydney from the north.
Awards
Brisbane Airport has won many awards. From 2005 to 2014, it was named Australia’s top airport for service quality ten years in a row. It was also ranked the third best airport in the world for handling between 20 and 30 million passengers each year. In 2015, it was recognized as the fourth-best medium-sized airport for timely arrivals and departures. The international terminal won a Queensland architecture award. In 2005, Brisbane Airport received the IATA Eagle Award, becoming only the second Australian airport ever to receive this honor.
Notable people
Julieanne Alroe was the chief executive officer of Brisbane Airport Corporation from July 2009 to June 2018.
Images
Related articles
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