Brisbane Airport passengers heading overseas are set to go from the cargo hold to the first-class deck with the opening of a new international departure area.
School holiday travellers will be the first to experience the new international check-in, security screening and 12-lane passport control area which opens on Thursday as part of a $5bn airport transformation ahead of the 2032 Olympics.
The passport control area was previously housed in the windowless bowels of the airport but has been moved upstairs to a light-filled atrium on the fourth floor.
It means that for the first time, check-in, security and passport control will all be on the same level in a move that also paves the way for a doubling of the duty-free area.
The new area’s opening comes as the airport braces for a busy school holidays, with more than 1.8m passengers expected to pass through the domestic and international terminals between Friday and October 12.
International travel is forecast to be up by 6.1 per cent on the same period last year, with
Queenslanders heading off on overseas trips to destinations such as Japan, China,
Europe and North America, as well as tropical favourites like Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Monday October 5, which falls on the public holiday and NRL grand final long
weekend, is forecast to be the busiest day of the holidays and the second busiest
day on record for Brisbane Airport, with 84,100 passengers expected across both
terminals.
Ryan Both, Brisbane Airport’s executive general manager aviation, said the relocation
passport control relocation would allow for a simpler, faster and more streamlined passenger
experience.
“No-one wants a stressful start to their holiday, which is why we’re re excited to open
this new passport control facility before the school holiday rush,’ he said.
“Passengers can now move seamlessly from security screening to passport control
in one streamlined journey, making it easier to get from kerbside to gate.
“It’s another milestone in the transformation of our international terminal and comes
at the perfect time, just as thousands of families prepare to head overseas for the
holidays, and thousands of visitors arrive to experience Queensland.”
Mr Both said the airport would be busy over the holiday period and urged travellers to arrive at least 90 minutes before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
He said Brisbane Airport was now connected to 35 international destinations and 63 domestic destinations and welcomed a record 25 million passengers in the past year.