The state government is lobbying Qantas to get on board a terminal move that would bring it closer to the $1.9 billion Airport Link, a plan the airline resisted in its stoush with Perth Airport.
The state government is lobbying Qantas to get on board a terminal move that would bring it closer to the $1.9 billion Forrestfield-Airport Link, a plan the airline resisted in its stoush with Perth Airport.
The delay-marred 8.5-kilometre airport rail line, one of the largest projects in the state government’s flagship Metronet program, was officially opened over the weekend.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the line would service up to 85 per cent of flights and support 20,000 passengers, operating between the hours of 5am and midnight at a cost of $42 million per year.
But the rail line’s new Central Airport Station, which sits adjacent to terminals 1 and 2, is still some distance from Qantas terminals 3 and 4, which were left off the rail route and remain accessible only by car or shuttle bus.
That is a significant portion of passengers, with Perth Airport telling Business News between 45 to 50 per cent of all flights were operated by the airline.
Perth Airport has been planning the consolidation of Qantas Group’s operations for several years, foreshadowing a move to shift the airline to Airport Central by 2025 and upgrade its international terminal at a cost of $2.5 billion in its 2020 Master Plan.
That would involve transferring the airline’s operations to the terminal 1 and 2 precinct, which is already home to rival Virgin.
But Qantas voiced its resistance to the plan earlier this year.
During the press conference on Sunday, Premier Mark McGowan encouraged the airline to shift its terminal to be closer to the central station.
“So, yes, it has some distance,” he said.
“What we're urging Qantas to do is to move its terminals here to the central station.
“There are ongoing negotiations about that.
“So, the Qantas terminal would come here and it would have a single terminal for both domestic and international passengers.”
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti reiterated those sentiments when contacted by Business News.
"The move of QANTAS to terminal one and two is subject to ongoing negotiation between Perth Airport and the airline, but the State Government continues to advocate for the consolidation of airline services in the one location, as that will deliver the best long-term outcome for the people of Western Australia," she said.
"The development of this train line began in 2016 and took a long-term view, which is why the decision was made to construct a station at Redcliffe, which would service the community in the long-term, but also provide quick access to nearby terminals three and four, while those negotiations between Perth Airport and QANTAS continue.
"The idea that we would build a train station directly to terminal three and four, only to have those services relocate in the coming years, was not a feasible or realistic option.
"With regard to Airport Central, people will be able to easily access the terminal building via the sky bridge, which is equipped with travelators.
"The design allows for the expansion of the sky bridge in the future, to accommodate the relocation of QANTAS services."
She insisted the public would still be well served in the interim, with those wanting to access terminals 3 and 4 able to reach them via a shuttle bus from Redcliffe Station.
The national airline and the airport had been locked in a three-year court battle over millions of dollars in aeronautical fees the airline contested until February this year, when the Supreme Court handed down its determination.
At the time, Qantas Group chief financial officer Vanessa Hudson released a statement addressing the new deal, claiming the proposed terminal move was not commercially viable.
“Perth Airport ultimately wants Qantas to move to their proposed new terminal but the price to use that facility would not be commercially viable for Qantas if the return on investment in this judgment was applied,” she said.
And any move could still be some time away.
Business News understands Qantas is still in talks with Perth Airport about inking a new agreement and terminal arrangements, with the deal yet to be finalised.
