Perth Airport admits service pressures as it balances huge redevelopment with record passenger numbers

Perth Airport has admitted service levels are suffering as it balances record passenger numbers with an accelerating redevelopment program that will transform the transport hub by the end of the decade. The airport on Thursday confirmed passenger numbers broke through 17 million for the first time in the 2024-25 financial year, rising 8.5 per cent to 17.48 million on the back of a big spike in international visitors and record fly-in, fly-out travel across the State’s resources projects. The strong growth has come against the backdrop of a multi-year, $5 billion redevelopment that is already frustrating airport users inconvenienced by road congestion resulting from the works. Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters said management was learning from similar redevelopments elsewhere but admitted the airport had not been able to deliver “the positive service we want”. “We are finding it extremely challenging,” Mr Waters told The West Australian. He has appealed for patience during the redevelopment and urged passengers to access the airport by train if they are able, to reduce the threat of road delays. The works program includes an expanded international terminal, new terminal facilities for Qantas, multi-storey carparks, a first airport hotel and a parallel runway that will come into service in the 2028-29 year. As flight traffic increases ahead of the new runway, the airport is also trying to ensure turnaround times don’t blow out by adding more boarding gates, as well as new aprons to park more aircraft. Having passed its pre-COVID levels in mid-2024, Perth Airport is now eyeing potentially more than 18 million passengers by the end of the 2026 financial year as it heads towards an expected 20 million by 2030. Mr Waters attributed “the incredibly strong numbers” last financial year to the addition of new international services that pushed overseas passenger numbers 18.3 per cent higher to 5.1 million, and a strong State economy that helped lift mainly FIFO regional traffic 3.7 per cent to 6.2 million. Interstate passenger volumes were 6.2 per cent stronger at 6.1 million. The airport, which is owned by infrastructure and superannuation funds, has been surprised by the strength of the post-pandemic recovery. In tandem with the State Government and tourist bodies, it has focused on recovering and expanding international flights suspended when WA’s borders were closed in 2020. The likes of China Eastern, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Air Asia, South African Airways, All Nippon, Thai, Philippine Airlines, Vietnam Airlines and VietJet have all returned or launched new services to meet the pent-up demand for international travel after the pandemic. More recently, Virgin has launched a Perth-Doha service and Cathay Pacific has expanded its Perth-Hong Kong service to two flights a day.