Construction complete on Brisbane Airport runway

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) and Skyway have announced the practical completion of Brisbane Airport‘s new runway, following eight years of construction.

BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said thousands of people had worked on the project over decades, and thanked and congratulated them for their contribution to “one of Queensland’s most important construction projects in memory.”

“In many respects this runway is symbolic of the very firm belief we have that aircraft will, in the not too distant future, return to the skies, and our terminals will once again be full of happy people looking forward to visiting their families, their holidays or to travel to do business,” he said.

“The last few months have been difficult for everyone in the aviation and travel industries, as well as the whole community, but we have never lost sight of the fact that this project has been built for the long term. It will serve us well for many decades to come.”

Mr. De Graaff said the runway represents more than asphalt, and is an enabler for recovery and growth.

“Every step of the way the BAC team has been supported by many partners, suppliers and contractors who have contributed to this project. This truly is a project built by the community for the community,” he said.

“Now more than ever, it is crucial that we have the infrastructure and mechanisms in place to allow our great city and state to recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic, and Brisbane Airport, and this new runway will play a strong part in that.”

According to Mr. De Graaff, 324 different subcontractors were engaged during the project – 90 per cent of which were based in South East Queensland.

“The new runway landed under budget at $1.1 billion, a saving of $200 million on initial estimates,” he said.

Skyway Project Director Graeme Fenemore said the project is demonstrative of a significant engineering feat over a number of years, and a dedicated project team who worked diligently to put safety first.

“On behalf of the Skyway joint venture, I am extremely proud to be handing over Brisbane’s new runway ahead of program, on budget and with an exemplary safety record of zero lost time injuries,” he said.

Skyway is a joint venture between BMD Constructions and CIMIC Group member CPB Contractors.

With practical completion now achieved, the detailed commissioning process for the new runway will continue as part of the wider Operational Readiness and Testing program.

Brisbane’s new runway will open 12 July.