Sydney Airport plots expansion course
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Sydney Airport has unveiled a new masterplan designed to help it cope with a huge projected increase in passenger traffic over the coming decades.
Released today (5 June 2013), the preliminary draft report outlines the airport’s direction between now and 2033, when passenger movements are expected to reach 74.3 million – more than double the 36.9m handled in 2012, at an average annual growth rate of 3.4% per year.
Aircraft movements are expected to increase at a slower rate of 1.2% per year, from 321,700 in 2012 to 409,500 in 2033, and this has led the masterplan to focus more efforts to ease passenger flow than on expansion of air capacity.
As a result, Sydney Airport said that there were no plans to lift or ease the airport’s night-time curfew, no changes to the flight movement cap and no plans to develop extra runways. Instead, operators are planning to develop a new integrated ground transport plan for the airport, improving traffic flow through reconfigured terminals, new roads and the greater use of public transport.
“Numerous government studies have shown that while we have runway and apron capacity for several decades to come, it is ground access to the airport that is impacting on customers,” said Sydney Airport’s CEO, Kerrie Mather.
“Our ground transport plan includes a new one-way ring road for the T2/T3 precinct and improvements to T1 including the creation of a free-flowing road through the precinct and a new city-bound exit by 2018.
“The plan will encourage greater use of public transport with the creation of new bus and multi-purpose parking facilities. We also continue to advocate for new and more affordable bus and train services to the airport,” Ms Mather added.
Aside the transport plans, Sydney Airport will also develop two integrated terminal precincts each with international, domestic and regional services. The T2/T3 terminal precincts will be expanded, with the addition of A380-capable gates at T3. Inter-terminal transfer facilities for will also be enhanced.
“Since announcing a concept plan in December 2011, we have conducted more than 18 months of consultation with our airport stakeholders and the community on evolving Sydney Airport into two integrated terminal precincts,” Ms Mather said. “It will vastly improve the experience for passengers transferring between international and domestic services, many of whom will be able to transfer under one roof. An on-airport transit corridor will also be preserved in the land-use plan to provide additional flexibility. Integrated terminals will also significantly improve road flows between the terminal precincts.
“Sydney Airport is Australia’s gateway airport. This concept plan provides the flexibility to meet the evolving needs of the aviation market,” Ms Mather concluded.
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