BRISBANE Airport is moving to position itself as the ‘Gateway to Australia’ from North America, with the airport in talks with all carriers in the region about new routes and increased frequencies.
General manager airline & retail management Andrew Brodie said that with the airport set to open a second runway in just over 24 months, now was the time to talk to airlines & secure opportunities.
Currently operating at about 52 movements per hour during peak periods, once the second runway opens at Brisbane Airport that figure will more than double to 110 movements.
“When other airports are facing terminal/runway constraints, particularly here in Australia, Brisbane Airport has the opportunity to really capitalise on that increase in capacity and truly be the ‘gateway for Australia’,” Brodie told Travel Daily.
He said that Qantas had already committed to BNE by basing a second batch of four Dreamliners at the facility, two of which would be dedicated to Los Angeles.
“We are still working with Qantas on where those other two will go, so that’s really exciting.
“In partnership with Qantas, we hope to make an announcement about that in the next six months,” the airport exec said.
Brodie told TD BNE was already in active discussions with all North American airlines about future opportunities.
“Brisbane is the closest capital city port to North America in Australia – we see that as a key differential to any other port.”
“So fuel savings and efficiencies, plus our domestic connectivity, our ability to get people in and out quickly, it makes for a great business proposition,” he said.
“Brisbane Airport experienced its largest international growth this year than we’ve experienced in the last decade.
“We have more domestic points than any other port in Australia, so from a connectivity perspective, flying into Brisbane internationally, it’s really easy to disperse, not only to the city but also nationally and major tourism destination ports,” he said.
Pictured at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre yesterday during Routes Asia are Brisbane Airport’s aviation team – from left, Denise Brown, Toni Kasch, Ben James, Jim Parashos, Andrew Brodie, Jonathan Zhang, Oliver Philpot and Chenlu Qian.
Source: traveldaily