Perth Airport warns of delays due to new terminal — ABC News Australia
Perth Airport in Australia has warned passengers of possible delays and other challenges over the next five to six years. This is related to the preparation and construction of a new domestic and international terminal in the Airport Central area, where Qantas plans to relocate its operations after 2031.
Airport chief executive Jason Waters said preliminary work could begin within the next 12 months. According to him, thousands of construction workers will be working at the site, but the airport will remain open around the clock throughout the construction period. This was reported by ABC News Australia.
Timeline and cost are still being clarified
In May 2024, Qantas and Perth Airport signed an agreement to build a new terminal and a new parallel runway worth A$3 billion. At the time, the opening was planned for 2031. Waters has now been unable to definitively confirm either the budget or the completion date, although he said he expects the project to be on schedule.
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The airport chief described competition for specialists, labour and raw materials as a challenge. Infrastructure projects related to AUKUS in the Henderson defence precinct, the Westport container port, as well as roads and rail in Kwinana, are also planned in Western Australia.
Bringing together four terminals
Currently, terminals 1 and 2 are located on the eastern side of the runways, while terminals 3 and 4 are on the western side. The distance between them is about eight kilometres, requiring travel by bus or car. Qantas currently operates domestic and international flights from terminals 3 and 4.
The redevelopment also includes two new car parks: one has already been completed and is scheduled to open by the end of the year. Construction of a hotel is expected at the end of next year, according to Waters. About 4% of airport passengers currently use the Airport Line railway, which has connected central Perth with Airport Central since 2022. The airport expects that consolidating the terminals in one area will increase train use.
