Joe Bates takes a closer look at Perth Airport’s ambitious A$5 billion investment programme and how the new facilities will help it meet rising demand.
Perth Airport has delivered another bumper year for aviation with a record 16.9 million passengers passing through its terminals in 2024.
A surge in international travellers and continued growth in regional and interstate travel has seen an additional 1.6 million passengers in 2024 compared to 2023.
More than half of this increase (56%) came from additional international passengers. International passenger numbers grew 23% year-on-year.
Regional routes continued to perform strongly, growing by almost 7% cent in 2024, with interstate travel also growing by 6%.
The 2024 total easily beats the previous calendar year passenger record of 15.3 million set in 2023 and represents an increase of 14% increase on pre-COVID numbers.
And the upward trend continued in January 2025 when the airport experienced its busiest ever month when more than 1.56 million passengers passed through its facilities.
Indeed, airport CEO, Jason Waters, admits that the extraordinary growth in passenger numbers shows no sign of slowing down, which augurs well for the Western Australian economy.
“In December last year we set new records in both interstate and international passenger numbers,” says Waters. “Those records have barely lasted a month with January seeing a record 561,156 interstate passengers, along with a record 515,581 international passengers.
“This surge has pushed us to an all-time record of 1,564,605 passengers for a single month. It’s also the first time we have pushed past the 500,000 international passenger mark in a single month.
“West Aussies now have more choice of where to go on holidays, and we are welcoming more international visitors who come to experience all that our fantastic tourism and hospitality sectors have to offer.”
He continues: “We are well on track to meeting our forecast of 20 million passengers per annum by 2030.
“This makes our multi-billion-dollar investment programme to deliver a new runway, new terminal facilities, two multi-storey carparks with major road upgrades, and our first hotel a critical investment in WA’s future as when Perth Airport grows, the Western Australian economy grows.”
Ambitious master plan
The airport’s A$5billion investment programme will bring all operations into the Airport Central precinct, with a new parallel runway, new terminals facilities, two multi-storey car parks with associated roadworks, an upgrade of Terminal 2, and the airport’s first hotel.
In February, Perth Airport announced that international respected firm Bechtel had been appointed as its Capital Portfolio Partner on the project.
“Work has already commenced on the first of two multi-storey car parks, while site preparation for the new parallel runway will start shortly,” notes Waters.
“This will be followed by an expanded international terminal, a new Qantas terminal, a second multi storey car park, and our first airport hotel.
“We will also be providing additional capacity for Qantas in terminals 3 and 4 to allow them to grow while the other works are completed.
“So, we need to deliver a complex array of projects in a live operational environment. The appointment of Bechtel as our Capital Portfolio Partner is another critical step in delivering our plans to change the face of Perth Airport over the coming decade.
“Bechtel will work side-by-side with our team, providing specialist advice and supporting the delivery of our complex infrastructure programme.
“The size and scale of our capital pipeline over the next decade means we will continue to partner with expert organisations, fostering innovation and excellence.
“This is an exciting time for Perth Airport and the programme of projects will result in the long-held vision for One Airport which will deliver greater efficiency for airlines and a better travel experience for passengers.”
Waters reveals that the scale of what needs to be built is unprecedented in Perth.
“We will be completely changing the face of Perth Airport over the next decade,” he says. “We will have a world class airport experience for travellers while delivering the capacity and efficiency our airline partners need to grow their connections into Western Australia.
“We want the new terminal facilities to reflect the confidence and character of Western Australia. This will be the first welcome to our State for millions of visitors each year and we want to make a lasting first impression.
“We know that one of the things that confuses the public the most is which terminal or which part of the airport they should be heading to. Bringing everything into one precinct will create ‘one airport’ for all flights. This will make the whole experience more intuitive and simpler.
“It will also help boost regional tourism as it will make it easier for connections between international, interstate and regional flights.
“There will be some pain along the way as have to build most of these projects in a live and increasingly busy airport environment, but we’ll be sequencing the construction works and placing a strong focus on minimising disruption for our passengers and our airline partners.”
Waters is confident that the new terminal facilities will cater to a diverse range of different travellers needs and expectations.
He says: “Travellers want their airport experience to be as smooth as possible, from arriving at the airport, to moving through check-in and security, to waiting for their flight to board.
“Many want to feel the buzz of the excitement of a journey about to begin. Some will be looking for a range of quality, affordable food and beverage or retail outlets. Others will be looking for more quiet, reflective areas to help lower the stress levels.
“We’ve got an amazing opportunity here to build in up-front measures to cater for passengers of all abilities and remove the barriers to travel that some people experience.
“We’ll also be ensuring both the construction and operations of the new facilities will be sustainable and environmentally responsible. This will include measures to reduce water and energy use, and to also reduce the amount of waste generated.”
First airport hotel
The gateway’s vision for the future includes the addition of its first onsite hotel, the Pullman Perth Airport, which will be developed in partnership with Australia’s largest hotel operator, Accor.
The new state-of-the-art hotel is slated to open in 2027 and will feature 240 rooms and suites across eight floors, a rooftop restaurant and bar, lobby lounge café, gymnasium, sauna, meeting facilities, and co-working spaces.
Dan Sweet, Perth Airport’s chief property officer, says: “We are delighted to be partnering with world-leading hospitality group, Accor, to deliver our first hotel.
“The new Pullman Perth Airport hotel will be a world-class facility located at the front door to our major terminals. It will make it even more convenient for international and interstate visitors, providing a place to stay and relax during connections.
“Pullman, along with its parent company Accor, are both well-known and respected global hospitality brands. Their expertise and experience will ensure a fantastic new accommodation offering debuts in Perth, particularly for those transiting through the airport.”
According to DKO Architecture, the hotel’s design will reflect Western Australia’s unique beauty with materials and forms inspired by its landscapes, providing a memorable and warm welcome to visitors from Australia and all over the world.
Qantas key to airport’s success
Last year Qantas and Perth Airport reached an historic commercial agreement that proved the catalyst for the multi-billion-dollar wave of investment in the Western Australia gateway.
As part of the 12-year agreement, Perth Airport will invest around A$3 billion in new terminal facilities and a new parallel runway which will generate immediate and ongoing economic growth and job creation.
Qantas and Jetstar will relocate all services to a new terminal in the Airport Central precinct that will, along with the airline’s major investment in new aircraft, enable the growth required to turn Western Australia into a major domestic and international hub for the airlines.
Qantas and Jetstar plan to add 4.4 million seats to and from Perth per annum by the time the new terminal opens in 2031.
The hub will significantly enhance inbound tourism and give Australians more options when travelling to Asia, Africa, India and Europe.
Ongoing upgrades to Terminal 3 and Terminal 4 will enable Qantas to add services and more destinations from Perth, including Auckland and Johannesburg from mid-2025, subject to meeting border agency requirements.
The works will also include gate upgrades to accommodate ultra-long-haul aircraft, including its Project Sunrise Airbus A350s which arrive from 2026.
Speaking about the agreement at the time, Qantas CEO, Vanessa Hudson, said: “This is the largest airport infrastructure deal in our history. It will enable us to create a world-class western hub and significantly expand our domestic and international services over the short, medium and long-term.
“Not only will it allow us to bring hundreds of thousands more travellers to and through Western Australia each year, it will also make it easier for overseas tourists to connect to more destinations across Australia.
“Perth-London and Perth-Rome are two of the most popular flights on our international network, which gives us confidence in our strategy to ramp up WA flying over the next few years as we receive new aircraft and grow our fleet.”
