Gold Coast Airport says the expanded passenger terminal that is part of its redevelopment project will be built by Lendlease.
The airport said on Monday it had appointed Lendlease to build the new three-level terminal located at the southern end of the current facility.
The new terminal, which has been earmarked as the primary area for international flights, would have twice the floor space of the existing terminal and include aerobridges for boarding and disembarkation.
The aerobridges would also be swing gates that can be used for domestic flights at times when they are no international flights. The airport also planned to keep a mix of aerobridge gates and ground level gates.
Queensland Airports chief executive Chris Mills said the construction of the new terminal facilities, which were part of the airport’s $370 million Project Lift, was expected to begin soon and be completed in mid-2021.
“Gold Coast Airport looks after 6.6 million passengers a year, and this will more than double by 2037,” Mills said in a statement.
“The existing terminal is currently operating beyond capacity. This expansion will not only help us meet demand, it will create an entry point to the city, befitting the nation’s leading tourism region.
“Last year we completed the first phase of Project LIFT, the 20,000 square metre expansion of our apron to create more aircraft parking space leading into the Commonwealth Games.”
Queensland Airports is the owner and operator of Gold Coast Airport, the host airport for the recently held Commonwealth Games.
The appointment of Lendlease comes a week after Gold Coast Airport announced it had switched on the instrument landing system (ILS) for flights landing from the north on Runway 14.
The ILS, which assists pilots on equipped aircraft with a precise radio navigation aid, is for flights landing from the north on Runway 14. The airport has said previously about two-thirds of flights land from that direction.
Airservices Australia northern operations manager Doug Scott said the ILS would complement a range of navigation procedures and technology already in place at Gold Coast Airport to make operations at the airport more reliable, efficient and predictable for airlines and the travelling public.
“It will provide vertical and horizontal guidance to pilots when landing, reducing flight delays and diversions,” Scott said in a statement on February 28.
Gold Coast Airport said the ILS would “only be used during severe weather causing low visibility conditions, as well as in emergency situations and when operationally required”.
“The ILS is an important piece of infrastructure which will improve reliability and enhance the region’s reputation as a leading tourism destination,” Gold Coast Airport operations and service delivery general manager Brett Curtis said in a statement.
“It means passengers flying to the Gold Coast during poor weather conditions can be assured we have the best technology available to minimise the need to divert to alternative ports. This technology brings us in line with other airports.
“This is crucial to our forward planning as we prepare to meet the growing demands of the region, with forecasts predicting passenger numbers to increase almost three-fold in the next 20 years.”
A 192-room hotel is also being built at Gold Coast Airport, with construction having started in early February.
