Perth Airport’s split terminals will be consolidated into one complex, ending years of confusion for travellers, following a new deal struck with Qantas.
The airport is currently split into Terminal 1 and 2 on the east side of the runways, with 3 and 4 located on the west side — an eight kilometre drive between the two.
Qantas currently operates both its domestic and international services from Terminals 3 and 4, but have announced today it will shift its operations to the main terminals after 2031.
The project to consolidate the airport to a central location has been discussed for decades but has hit many obstacles over the years.
In 2023, Premier Roger Cook accused Qantas of “dawdling”, saying the airline was holding the state back from becoming the “western gateway to Australia” and described the T3 and T4 as a “boutique” arrival hall.
The airline says the $5 billion agreement will also include a newly constructed runway, and open up new destinations for its international network.
The new terminal is expected to be complete by 2031, with Qantas to upgrade its current operations at Terminals 3 and 4 in the meantime.
Subsidiary Jetstar will relocate its services to Terminal 2 from September.
The new runway, to run parallel to the airport’s north-south tarmac, is due to open in 2028.
COVID stalls plans
In 2019, the privatised Perth Airport released plans for a $2.5 billion upgrade to the international terminal that would allow space for Qantas to move in.
At the time, Perth Airport predicted the consolidation would nearly double annual passenger numbers.
But the plans were stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic and amid financial and commercial pressures Qantas refused to pursue the deal.
The completion of the $1.86 billion Forrestfield-Airport Link has added another layer to the dispute, with the train station built a kilometre from Qantas’ terminals.
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