SafekipediaBrisbane Airport
Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience
Brisbane Airport (IATA: BNE, ICAO: YBBN) is an international airport serving Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a very busy place, with 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations. In 2024, over 23 million passengers passed through its gates.
In 2016, Brisbane Airport was named the fifth-best performing airport in the world for on-time flights, with 87% of arrivals and departures happening within 15 minutes of their scheduled times. The airport covers a huge area of 2,700 hectares (6,700 acres), making it one of the largest by size in Australia.
Brisbane Airport is an important hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia, and also serves as a base for airlines like Jetstar. It has many facilities, including dedicated terminals for domestic, international, and cargo flights, as well as two runways. The airport also supports emergency services such as 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 the suburb of Eagle Farm. It was located near the Brisbane central business district and Domestic Terminal. Famous pilot Charles Kingsford Smith landed there in 1928 after completing the first flight across the Pacific Ocean in his plane, the Southern Cross. During World War II, the airport was upgraded for military use and became the main airport for the city.
By the 1960s, Eagle Farm Airport could no longer handle the needs of a growing city like Brisbane. Many international flights had to stop in places like Darwin before reaching Brisbane, making travel less convenient.
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 the suburb of Cribb Island, which was removed to make space. Sand from Moreton Bay was used to raise the land above water levels. The airport opened with a domestic terminal, two runways, and other important facilities.
In 1995, an international terminal was added, and it has grown since then.
Privatisation
In 1997, Brisbane Airport was bought by a group of investors led by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) for $1.4 billion. Since then, BAC has been in charge of running the airport and making 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 building a new runway. Construction started and took eight years because of the large amount of sand needed from Moreton Bay. The new runway opened in July 2020, with the first flight operated 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 that can handle 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, providing extra space for passengers and airlines. It serves different airlines in separate areas of the terminal.
Plans are underway for a third terminal, which will be able to handle both domestic and international flights. It is expected to open in the 2030s to meet growing needs.
The airport also has special facilities for VIP and charter flights on both the North and South aprons.
Airlines and destinations
Qantas offers special flights over Antarctica from Brisbane using Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes. These flights leave from the Domestic Terminal and give a guided aerial tour of Antarctica before coming back to Australia, taking about thirteen hours in total.
Traffic and statistics
Brisbane Airport had about 23.1 million passengers in one year back in 2017. Experts think this number will grow to around 50 million passengers by the year 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 that are open all day, every day. There are two large covered car parks—one for international flights and one for domestic flights—both offering short and long-term parking. Qantas and Virgin Australia also provide a parking service where a driver waits to take your car to a parking spot for you, but this is only at the domestic terminal. In total, there are 9,000 parking spaces.
In 2009, a group was formed to help 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, making travel easier.
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 large area including 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, located next to Brisbane Tower at Brisbane Airport, 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, which makes up 5% of the world's total airspace. Although fewer major cities are inside this area, Brisbane Centre still plays a key role, especially for flights arriving or leaving Sydney from the north.
Awards
Brisbane Airport has received many awards. It was named Australia’s top airport for service quality for ten years straight from 2005 to 2014, according to a survey by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. It also was ranked as the third best airport in the world for airports 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 even won a Queensland architecture award. In 2005, Brisbane Airport received the IATA Eagle Award, making it only the second Australian airport ever to get 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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