Gold Coast Airport to be upgraded… eventually

Regular flyers to the Gold Coast will be delighted to hear that the airport will finally be getting a much-needed upgrade… eventually. The airport, which still lacks aerobridges, will in time have its carpark, international terminal and domestic terminal upgraded, though we are yet to see the exact details.

Good news is that the GC Airport executives have at last swallowed their tongues and are agreeing to aerobridges! I must say, I won’t miss that “regional” experience of walking through rain like they used to espouse.

The airport has seen steady growth in recent years and now has regular services from all four major domestic airlines and a number of international carriers. It is also currently in negotiations to get a direct flight from the Gold Coast to China.

In addition to the upgrade, there are discussions about the possibility of a train service to the airport, linking it with the Gold Coast and possibly even Brisbane. Currently there are no rail services to the airport but they would be a welcome addition.

They are also stating that both light and heavy rail will be included, which is fabulous, as that means a very rapid connection to both Brisbane destinations as well as GC destinations. I’ve ridden the light rail a few times now and it does seem to work better than I had expected. It is good that traffic lights give the trams a clear run without really stopping (or at least it appeared that way). It’ll make them the quickest means of transport to Broadbeach/Surfers.

However it seems unlikely we’ll see significant progress in the near future. The airport expects that it will take two years before the plans are even approved. With the Gold Coast set to host the Commonwealth Games in just three years, the construction work might prove to be more of an inconvenience than a benefit during the Games.

Considering the plan wont be out for 2 years, and the Commonwealth Games is in 2018, none of this will be ready for that, and in fact it’ll likely cause congestion around that time that no one needs.

Will you be happy to see the Gold Coast “experience” enhanced? Join the discussion HERE.

Matt Graham

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.