Brisbane Airport boss opens CAPA Summit with $5b terminal rebuild plans

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By Grant Jones


Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff has opened the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific 2024 at The Star with an exciting taste of what is to come for the city’s $5billion International and Domestic Terminal rebuild as it prepares for the 2032 Olympics.

“This is our paradise and you are most welcome to share it,” he told about 500 delegates from 22 countries, plus 100 representatives from 31 carriers, in attendance at the two-day summit being held in Brisbane for the second time in a row.

The largest aviation summit in the region opened last night with a cocktail party at the Sky Deck at the new The Star Brisbane at $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf precinct before getting down to business of looking at the most significant trends and opportunities in aviation.

Brisbane is host to the 2032 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, and with 110 million passengers walking through terminal since it opened 29 years ago, it was time for a significant investment, de Graaff said.

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Brisbane Airport offers 62 destination within Australia, is a hub for the Pacific, and has the fastest growth rate in Australia, including with mining an industry for fly-in, fly out, with 74,000 passengers a walk using the terminal.

“We are not investing for the Olympics we are investing by the Olympics,” de Graaff said.

An animation showed the International Terminal refurbishment will include a Level 2 refurb for arrivals, Level 3 security moving to Level 4, and revolutionised passenger check-in and a new bag check-in system. There will also be electronic charging stations for ground staff vehicles. Duty free will also double in size, and there will be new food and beverage offerings.

Level 2 Arrivals at the new Brisbane International.

“The animation is the easy part, now we have to build the bloody thing,” de Graaff joked as the Don’t Worry be Happy song began to play and he did a little dance.

De Graaff also appealed to airlines to consider the new airport.

“Brisbane has the fastest capital city growth rate in Australia and for airlines, this means even more opportunity,” he said.

“I promise that it will be worth it. We are creating a space for your, Brisbane is ready for you … there is a place for you.”

De Graaff’s current board appointments include the Airports Council International Asia-Pacific Regional Board and Australian Airports Association. De Graaff was also selected to be a Council Member of the Australian Jet Zero Council in June 2023.

Qantas boss Cam Wallace said it had been growing Brisbane internationally and domestically with 4 international flights recently added, including Vanuatu and Honiara.

“Yeah, we are pretty ambitions for Queensland and Brisbane airport, ” the Qantas International CEO said.

Research shows Brisbane international travel spike as airport prepares for major upgrade

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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