Brisbane airport in the eastern Australian state of Queensland has won government approval for a new runway to cater to strong growth in demand that is being forecast over the next decade and beyond.
Transport minister Mark Vaile announced the conditional approval today for a 3,600m (11,810ft)-long runway that will be built 2km west and parallel to the existing main runway at Brisbane airport. He says the cost is estimated at A$1 billion ($840 million).
Brisbane airport, which currently has a main runway and a shorter secondary runway, says in a statement of its own that the approval follows a two-year public consultation period. It says site preparation works are expected to start in 2009 and the new parallel runway is expected to be ready for use around 2015.
The airport, which is the base of Virgin Blue, has recorded strong growth in passenger throughput in recent years from new domestic and international services. It says passenger numbers are forecast to increase from 17.5 million this financial year to more than 25 million by 2014/15 and 50 million by 2035.
“The government approval of the NPR [new parallel runway] enables us to reassure the people of Brisbane that their airport will be ready to meet the significant challenges of growth over coming years,” says the airport’s managing director and CEO, Koen Rooijmans.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
Source: FlightGlobal.com
