Tourism plunge sets back Brisbane airport expansion

[NM]

from news.com.au:

MORE than $1.7 billion worth of construction at Brisbane airport has been deferred due to a fall in tourist numbers.

Work on a $700 million domestic terminal expansion and a $1 billion parallel runway were due for completion by 2015 but are likely to be pushed back by several years.

 

[Flashback]

Don't let PER hear about this! Sounds like a good excuse for them to push our upgrades back

 

[oz_mark]

Don't let PER hear about this! Sounds like a good excuse for them to push our upgrades back

...or at least downgrade them even further.

While it may be an appropriate decision for BNE, I think PER is so much in need of a fix, that it would need to be a big downturn in PER to push it back far.

 

[samh004]

I was only reading about the expansions yesterday, then saw on the news last night that it was being postponed by 2 years. Bugger. That being said, their plans for expanding the international terminal are sucky, it looks too long a walk between each end. Not to mention there'll be no extra space in the main terminal. Meh!

 

[possumoz]

If it was up to me I'd be going ahead with the expansions now..seem to me it would make more sense to to do all the new infrastructure work while the airports handling the passenger numbers. I don't understand all this wait until it falls to bits then inconvenience everyone even more thing that seems to be prevalent in our current business culture.

I can think of several reasons to go ahead...

1. excellent marketing opportunity by creating jobs when jobs are in short supply...we're a good Australian company building our nation etc etc
2. making the shop more attractive to clients and their clients (airlines and passengers) and increasing the market share from say the SYD shemozzle
3. positioning ones self in anticipation of market recovery and staying ahead of the game

reasons to delay..

1. Sheer bloodyminded laziness

 

[samh004]

Yeah that's something I was thinking of. By investing now they'll be creating jobs and stimulating the economy. Plus by working in a downturn there should be less disruptions to passengers and by the time everything ramps up again they'll be ready and can capitalise on it.

Guess the Queensland government doesn't think of it that way. They must know more than me.

 

[oz_mark]

Yeah that's something I was thinking of. By investing now they'll be creating jobs and stimulating the economy. Plus by working in a downturn there should be less disruptions to passengers and by the time everything ramps up again they'll be ready and can capitalise on it.

Guess the Queensland government doesn't think of it that way. They must know more than me.

Does the Queensland government run the airport? If it were their infrastructure I could understand your argument. However, I thought it was in private hands, and they would be more into battening down the hatches at the moment!

 

[samh004]

Does the Queensland government run the airport? If it were their infrastructure I could understand your argument. However, I thought it was in private hands, and they would be more into battening down the hatches at the moment!

Oh good point. I would of just assumed some of the money was coming from them, as they'll be benefiting from the tourists.

I guess if it's in private hands then they're less likely to make the money back as fast, and thus it doesn't matter to them when they do anything.

 

[Groundfeeder]

I'm with them who say keep going while you can.

I'm also worried the Ruddster may be having the final say in this given his strident objections to the parallel runway.

 

[anat0l]

Great - so we're gonna have to put with the current zoo for another good 3-5 years.

I'm more surprised by the statistics stating that travel growth in BNE has slowed from about 17% to next to nothing - what the??!!

The domestic terminal needs a lift - the traffic situation there is awful. At a minimum, at least put controls on the pedestrian crossings and allow taxis to use the special drop-off channel.

...it looks too long a walk between each end

That's what travelators are for. Witness SYD T1 where you need to get from the "oneworld" gates to the "Star Alliance" gates. (I can't remember the wing names). Of course, I believe they've partially closed that passage way now and/or have implemented tarmac shuttles to get you between wings. Another good example is KIX, but they have monorails to transport from the centre to the ends of the wings, but if you are energetic enough you can walk the whole way!

 

[JohnK]

Brisbane Airports Corporation (BAC) spokesman Jim Carden said the airport had experienced years of 17 per cent growth in visitor numbers, but arrivals had fallen to almost zero growth.

Hmmm.... There has been steady growth in visitor numbers for years and there is still growth now, albeit small, so what is the issue? You have more visitors than previous years and you want them to suffer with the old facilities? Does not make sense. The best option would be to continue with expansion for all the reasons stated in previous posts....

 

[samh004]

I don't know schedule changes and if less aircraft are arriving at BNE, but when I went to pickup my sister last Sunday night, it was packed in the international terminal. Don't tell me they were all just there for the Coffee Club and not to pick up any passengers.