Gold Coast Airport’s three-level terminal expansion is on track to open in 2022 – with the internal fit out of the 30,000sq m space now underway.
The fresh, modern terminal expansion will double the floor size of the existing terminal and includes four glass aerobridges, additional retail space and a large departure lounge.
Work on the building’s exterior is well-progressed and the focus has now turned to fitting out key internal areas and completing infrastructure to support the aerobridges, with installation to start later this year. Inside, work is underway installing ceilings, partitions and services with escalators and a glass departures tube now complete. Floor finishes will be laid in the next few months.
Queensland Airports Limited CEO Chris Mills said the project was a “game changer” for Gold Coast Airport and would set the business up for the future, at a time when the industry would be rebuilding from the impacts of COVID-19.
“The terminal expansion will connect seamlessly with the existing terminal, via a system that swings between domestic and international passenger arrivals and departures,” he said.
“All of our passengers, whether they use the existing or new building, will continue to enjoy quick and easy access and a warm welcome from our team.”
Construction fast facts include:
- The terminal expansion will have created about 2,000 jobs across three years when it is complete
- About 200 workers are onsite during peak times
- Almost 900,000 construction hours have been worked already
- 1,500 tonnes of structural steel, 1,200 tonnes of reinforcement steel and 15,000 cubic metres of concrete will have been used when the project is complete ‘
Mr Mills said the airport, straddling the Queensland and NSW border and near the beach and hinterland, would be an ideal gateway to the spectacular destinations it supported when the terminal expansion was open.
The terminal design reflects the natural environment and the relaxed nature of the region is echoed in the look and feel of the forecourt and plaza area, with timber decking and an open structure close to the Rydges Gold Coast Airport hotel.
Mr Mills said the terminal expansion was central to the ongoing development of the Gold Coast Airport precinct, with about $500 million worth of work recently delivered, underway or in the pipeline.
“We continued with this project, despite the devastating impacts of travel restrictions on our business, because of our confidence in the Gold Coast,” he said.
Mr Mills said the Gold Coast and northern NSW would be high on the list of must-see destinations for domestic and international travellers, as borders re-opened and confidence in travel returned.
