Brisbane Airport
After Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane Airport is the third busiest in Australia with over 18 million passengers flying through its gates every year.
Open since 1988, the airport has two runways. In 2008, Brisbane Airport was named as ‘Best Airport in the Australia-Pacific Region’ and ‘Airport with the Friendliest Staff in the World’ in the Skytrax World Airport Awards. The following year, 2009, it was deemed ‘Best Airport in Australia’ and also achieved the ‘Friendliest Staff Award for the Asia Pacific Region.’ To continue this string of awards, the Queensland Architecture Award was given to the International Terminal.
The airport is favoured by several airlines as a maintenance facility. Qantas works on their heavy 767-300 fleet there and it will also be home for the airline’s A330 fleet maintenance. Virgin Blue attends to their 737 fleet in Brisbane; while QantasLink and Alliance also maintain their fleets in Brisbane.
Airlines that Fly to Brisbane
Brisbane is a major hub for Virgin Blue and its low cost international subsidiary Pacific Blue Airlines. Brisbane is also a secondary hub for Qantas and its low cost subsidiary Jetstar.
Other airlines flying from Brisbane include:
- International: Air New Zealand, Air Niugini, Air Pacific, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Japan Airways, Jetstar, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, V Australia, Virgin Blue/Pacific Blue.
- Domestic: Jetstar, Qantas, QantasLink, Skytrans Airlines, Tiger Airways, Virgin Blue.
Flights to Brisbane
On the domestic front, the Brisbane-Sydney route is the 11th busiest passenger air route in the world. Other busy domestic routes are: Melbourne, Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Rockhampton and Newcastle.
The most flown international routes are to Auckland, Singapore, Christchurch, Tokyo (Narita), Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Fiji, Dubai, Wellington and Bangkok.
Hotels at Brisbane Airport
Opened in December 2009, the 157 room Novotel Brisbane Airport Hotel is the most convenient choice. This 4.5 star hotel is located adjacent to the International Terminal and is accessible by Airtrain or shuttle bus.
The six-storey hotel has a restaurant, bar, lounge, gymnasium and rooftop pool. It also has conference rooms which can accommodate up to 120 people.
Parking
Brisbane Airport Parking has four parking options to choose from.
- ParkQuick – for short-term pick-ups. A$2 for up to 15 minutes.
- ParkShort – for up to 4 hours – the best value for short-term visits.
- ParkLong – for stays of more than 4 hours. A secure environment, close to the terminal, for long-term car parking.
- ParkValet – valet service available within the ParkLong facility. Express in and out available.
For further parking details, click here. The International Terminal has a 5 storey long-term carpark and a smaller short-term carpark.
Airport Lounges at Brisbane Airport
The International Terminal contains a first class lounge for Emirates Airlines. Air New Zealand, Qantas and Singapore Airlines also have lounges.
In the Domestic Terminal, Qantas has three lounges - the Qantas Club, Business Class and Chairman’s Lounge. Virgin Blue also operates The Blue Room in the former Ansett Australia lounge.
Brisbane Airport Terminals
Brisbane airport has two terminals, the International Terminal and the Domestic Terminal. The two terminals are located 2 kilometres apart with several transportation options between them.
Airtrain costs A$5 one-way. A timetable and further details can be found here. T-Bus stops outside Qantas and Virgin Blue arrivals hall at the Domestic Terminal and outside the arrivals hall of the International Terminal. The journey costs A$5 one-way. A timetable can be found here. Taxi ranks are conveniently located at each terminal and the journey will cost approximately A$9.
The International Terminal has 14 aircraft parking bays (12 when accommodating the A380s) served by aerobridges. The terminal has four levels with the first level for airlines, baggage handlers and tourism operators, the second level for Arrivals, the third for Departure lounges and the fourth for Departure check-ins.
The Domestic Terminal is split into three areas. At the northern end are Qantas and QantasLink, while at the southern end are Virgin Blue. In the centre area is a common user section used by carriers such as Jetstar and Skytrans.
Brisbane Airport Departures
The International Departures Terminal has plenty of amenities for the traveller. Shopping includes the First Tax and Duty Free shop plus a broad spectrum of clothing shops, Australian souvenir shops and newsagents. While food and beverage options include: Aromas, Red Rooster, Subway, Noodle Box, Eagle Boys Pizza, Moreton Bay Ale House, Merlo Coffee, Coffee Club, Donut King and Hudsons Coffee. There is also a Vodafone shop, a Travelex booth and the Southern Queensland Visitor Information Centre.
The Domestic Departures Terminal has a clothing shop, newsagents, a luggage shop and a branch of the Southern Queensland Visitor Information Centre. Food and drink options include a Merlo Coffee, Eagle Boys, Food on 2, Food on 2 Express, and Velluto Expresso Bar.
For up-to-date flight departure information, click here.
Arrivals at Brisbane Airport
The International Arrivals Terminal has a First Tax and Duty Free store branch as well as coffee shops Brumby’s Go and Coffee Club plus an Eagle Boys Pizza.
Both Arrivals and Departures benefit from the Brisbane Airport Ambassadors – a group of volunteers who assist passengers and visitors to the International and Domestic Terminals to help make their visit to the Brisbane Airport as pleasant as possible. They move around level 2 and 4 of the International Terminal helping with ground transport, providing information on airport services, suggesting local attractions and providing general assistance. They also have a presence in the Customs Hall to offer customer service help.
In the Domestic Terminal the Brisbane Airport Ambassadors operate the Visitor Information Desk. For up-to-date arrivals information, click here.
Transportation: Getting to and from Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport is easily accessible from the Central Business District via the Gateway Motorway and Airtrain rail service, which is linked up with the Citytrain suburban rail network. The Airtrain service runs every 15 minutes during peak times and the journey to the CBD takes 22 minutes. Further information, click here. Seven days a week there is door-to-door coach service available with Coachtrans Australia.
There is a planned Airport Link motorway which will connect Brisbane CBS with the Brisbane Airport. Taxis are readily available at both the International and Domestic terminal. At the International Terminal they can be found at the front of the terminal on Level 2, Arrivals level. At the Domestic Terminal they are located at the front of the terminal.