Gold Coast Airport Redevelopment

Gold Coast Airport is a critical aviation gateway serving South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales, supporting strong tourism and commercial growth.

Queensland Airports Limited sought to expand terminal capacity, improve passenger amenity and enable future international growth while maintaining safe, continuous airport operations.

The brief required delivery of a highly adaptable terminal solution within a constrained airside environment, with emphasis on safety, operational resilience, regulatory compliance and long-term flexibility.

Southern Terminal Expansion

The 30,000sqm Southern Terminal Expansion (STE), the largest portion of the $500 million redevelopment, was completed in November 2022. The 3-level terminal building extension includes four glass aerobridges, six new gates and room for up to 19 large aircraft, seven escalators and nine lifts, new boarding facilities, a departure lounge, baggage handling and border control facilities plus new shops and cafes.

The new terminal now houses the airport’s international operations, with the capacity to service domestic flights using a ‘swing gate system’ which is activated on demand.

Airside Processing Zone

Construction of the Airside Processing Zone (APZ) was completed in April 2022. This package comprised complex staging and fast-tracked procurement using modular construction techniques in a highly sensitive and active airside environment.

The APZ now provides improved passenger movement between the existing terminal building, and the new multiple apron ramp system (MARS) configured aircraft parking apron, whilst also aiding to remove congestion from the existing terminal caused by passenger queuing.

Integrated delivery model

RCP led an integrated delivery model working alongside Queensland Airports Limited, the design team and Lendlease through an Early Contractor Involvement and two-stage Design and Construct procurement approach. This enabled value engineering, risk mitigation and design optimisation while protecting operational continuity. Innovative construction staging, including a purpose-built airside baggage tug tunnel and satellite concrete pumping arrangements, ensured uninterrupted airport operations.

Problems solved

Construction was undertaken within an active airport precinct, adjacent to security-restricted airside zones and high-volume passenger areas. The project required careful management of foreign object debris (FOD) risk, baggage tug movements, landside and airside traffic interfaces and strict aviation security controls.

More than 20 stakeholder groups, including airlines, border agencies, regulators and commercial operators, were coordinated throughout delivery.

The COVID-19 pandemic added further complexity, with passenger numbers falling dramatically, requiring programme resequencing, deferred procurement and adaptive cashflow management to maintain project momentum.

RCP also delivered the Operational Readiness, Activation and Transition (ORAT) programme, coordinating testing, training, trials and community simulations to support a seamless transition to live operations.

RCP provided project director, project management, superintendency and programming services for the Gold Coast Airport Redevelopment, the most significant expansion in the airport’s history.