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Brisbane Airport needs government support for “seamless” borders, as well as better public transport links, ahead of the 2032 Olympics, its CEO has said.
In an op-ed in The Courier-Mail, Gert-Jan de Graaff said faster international processing is needed to help passengers cross the border more quickly. The airport boss has floated biometric immigration technology or the use of QR codes instead of the current “cumbersome” processes.
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Though Brisbane Airport is currently spending $5 billion on its Future BNE transformation program, de Graaff wrote that “all the concrete in the world won’t fix a process that remains out of our hands: border passage”.
“The passenger experience at the border relies heavily on the Commonwealth agencies, and right now, that experience is falling behind the rest of the world. We need a streamlined, world-class process,” he said.
“Think Singapore’s Changi Airport where passengers clear immigration in seconds, not half an hour or more. The process is seamless, digital, safe, secure and efficient, just as it should be in a country like Australia.
“As a side-benefit, it will also enable passengers from overseas who are transiting to regional Queensland to have their bags checked right through.”
Better public transport is also a must to accommodate both current visitors and future growth, said de Graaff; currently, the airport is served by the privately operated Airtrain to the CBD, which runs every 15 minutes during peak times and every 30 minutes off-peak periods.
“We can’t rely solely on road networks to support 100,000 passengers and workers who come to the airport daily,” he wrote.
“Currently, over 25,000 workers also commute to the airport, rising to 50,000 in 20 years’ time. Brisbane Airport is one of South East Queensland’s largest employment precincts, and it’s growing fast.”
According to de Graaff, one change he would like to see to the Airtrain is a station at Skygate, serving the major shopping centre which includes DFO Brisbane.
“That would be really beneficial, and ideally part of the track should be a double track, so you can actually increase the number of trains significantly and operate every five or 10 minutes instead of currently every 15 minutes in peak,” he told The Courier-Mail.
“One of the most important success factors that everyone is highlighting is connectivity on the ground. A frequent train service from here to the CBD, from here to the Gold Coast, is actually essential for making the Games a success.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government told Australian Aviation that the Albanese government “knows how massive these games will be for Queensland”.
“We are working to upgrade critical infrastructure to ensure the city is well equipped to deal with this event,” the spokesperson said.
“The Government will continue this work in the lead up to the Games.”
Brisbane Airport’s transformation program includes renovations to its domestic and international terminals, continued planning for a new Terminal 3 precinct, aircraft parking and apron expansions, runway resurfacing, and a new aeromedical facility so medical repatriation and emergency services can be centralised at the airport.
