Wraps Come Off $5bn Perth Airport Overhaul Design

Perth Airport has taken the covers off designs for its $5-billion redevelopment as it announces plan to develop 250ha of non-aviation land on its estate. 

The airport this year revealed Western Australia’s largest privately funded infrastructure project to centralise its flight services in the Airport Central precinct. 

The plans include a new parallel runway, new terminal facilities, two multi-storey carparks and the airport’s first hotel. 

The project will also upgrade Terminal 2 with food, beverage and retail outlets.

And this week the airport announced plans to develop non-aviation land on its holdings to “drive investment, create jobs and fuel economic growth in Western Australia.” 

This will be undertaken with a new property brand, Skyfields, and “represents one of the largest urban redevelopment projects in Australia”, covering 250ha of developable land of the 2105ha estate.

Planned for Skyfields are five property precincts including a retail and lifestyle hub, office campus, logistics, industrial and commercial, and aviation support.

Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters said the scale of the project was unprecedented in Perth.

“We will be completely changing the face of Perth Airport over the next decade,” Waters said.

“Bringing everything into one precinct will create ‘one airport’ for all flights. This will make the whole experience more intuitive and simpler.” 

▲ The lack of developable land close to the CBD is a handbrake on Perth growth.

The airport is expecting to handle nearly 20 million passengers annually within the next 10 years.

Design discussions are under way with airline partners including Qantas.

Construction has begun on the multi-storey carpark, and works are under way at Terminal 2 for additional departure gates and seating, as well as road networks.

Runway construction is planned to begin in the new year.

The airport revealed last month that it would partner with Accord to operate the first hotel on the airport estate under the Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand.