Australia: $5 billion race to build Brisbane’s Olympics-ready airport

Brisbane is turning up the heat — not just as Australia’s fastest-growing city, but as the proud host of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With seven years left on the countdown clock, the city is already knee-deep in its biggest challenge yet: transforming Brisbane Airport into a world-class, Olympics-ready gateway.

The airport is undergoing its most ambitious upgrade yet.

Price tag? A whopping $5 billion.

The expansion includes terminal overhauls, a second runway, and a major sustainability drive.

Brisbane Airport just soared to a whole new level: Thanks to a shiny new parallel runway, it can now handle up to 110 aircraft movements an hour — on par with global giants like Singapore Changi and Hong Kong International, as per International Airport Review.

Talk about flying with the big leagues!

Why the rush?

Millions of spectators, athletes, and media will pour in come 2032, and the current airport — though historic — is bursting at the seams.

Terminals run on 1980s systems, and there's barely space to breathe, let alone grow.

The solution? Expand. Fast.

The new drive marks the largest transformation since the airport’s relocation, preparing Brisbane to welcome the world for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Building a runway on a swamp

When you’re boxed in by a bay, river, city, and swamp, where do you build?

After ruling out floodplains and residential zones, engineers chose the only feasible (but tricky) option: the swampy northwest.

The soil was soft, acidic, and waterlogged — basically a soggy mess.

So what did they do? Dug deep, pumped in sand — enough to fill 4,000 Olympic pools — and laid down 300,000 “wick drains” (giant straws) to suck the water out.

Bridge to the skies

One of the biggest feats was building a bridge -- part of what is called Dryandra Road -- strong enough for fully-loaded planes, like a 560-tonne Airbus A380.

That meant 700 steel rods, 20,000 cubic metres of concrete, and a tunnel that wouldn’t leak.

It took a year and over 250 workers to complete the mega bridge itself. It now connects the terminals to the new runway.

At the peak of construction, the project created up to 2,700 jobs in the region, according to Julieanne Alroe, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) CEO and Managing Director.

Runway done, just in time

Despite the chaos, Brisbane delivered. The second runway officially opened on July 12, 2020 — on time, under budget, and without a single environmental breach.

That’s pretty rare.

Then came the big news

A year later, Brisbane scored the 2032 Olympic Games. The new runway? Suddenly a game-changer.

Next: terminal makeovers

Now the airport is giving both terminals full makeovers.

The domestic terminal (built in 1988) is getting a top-floor overhaul for new CT scanners, a smarter baggage system, modern interiors, 10 new restaurants, and even a 360° restaurant with views of the runway.

Meanwhile, the international terminal is stepping up its game: with a new mezzanine-level baggage zone, better passport control, and a double-sized duty-free area.

An all-new arrivals hall is in the works. And there’s an expanded self-service check-in and automated bag drop for all airlines, too.

Brisbane Airport: Key enhancements

Powering up with the sun

To keep everything humming, the airport authorities had another bright idea: building a massive solar farm to run 100% on renewable energy by the end of 2025.

Coming soon: Terminal 3

The cherry on top? A brand-new Terminal 3. Sitting between both runways, it’s set to become the Olympic centerpiece and a launchpad for Brisbane’s future flights.

So, will Brisbane be ready in time for the Games? At this rate, you bet.

The airport has already pulled off one of Australia’s most complex infrastructure upgrades. And by the time the world lands in 2032, Brisbane will be rolling out the (very solar-powered) red carpet.