Early Planning

Brisbane’s New Runway is the completion of long term planning commenced in the 1970s for Brisbane Airport.  Ever since planning began a wide-spaced parallel runway system in a north-south alignment has been a key feature of the ultimate development vision.

The airport opened in its current location in 1988 with the existing main runway, the smaller cross runway, the Domestic Terminal and the new air traffic control tower in place.  During this initial construction phase in the 1980s space was reserved to the west of the then new airport for a parallel runway to be built in the future when it was needed.  

The parallel system remained the central planning feature for future expansion in the period up to Brisbane Airport Corporation’s (BAC) purchase of Brisbane Airport in 1997. BAC retained this planning vision, with some minor improvements tweaks in its first two Master Plans 1998 and 2003 respectively.

The final design of Brisbane's New Runway is a nod to the legacy of the early planners in selecting a site and airfield layout that remains the best solution half a century on.