Sydney Airport will house its domestic and international terminals under one roof as part of plans to boost passenger traffic by 75% in 20 years.
The airport has just released its draft master plan for public comment which calls for 72 million passengers a year, $70 billion in annual revenue and more than 105,000 direct jobs by 2045.
By 2045, the airport expects international passenger numbers to reach 36.4 million annually with domestic numbers hitting 36.2 million.
WATCH: click here for the video presentation.
Airport CEO Scott Charlton says “the proposed major terminal expansion joining the T2 and T3 (domestic/regional) terminals will be the most significant development at (the) airport since the Olympics”.
“It will unlock greater capacity across all terminals, more efficient use of runways, and ultimately get passengers from the ground and into the air more quickly.
“We are conscious that growth also brings responsibility. We’re committed to managing aircraft noise, taking steps to reduce our emissions footprint, and working closely with residents, councils and government to make sure the benefits of growth are shared,” Charlton says.
With international travellers expected to increase from just under 40% to 50.4% of passenger traffic at the airport by 2045, there are plans to install 14 more international gates.
The plan also expects airfreight volumes to grow to 1.4 million tonnes annually, more than double the current levels.
The airport says the plan will create more than 105,000 jobs directly or around 1500 new jobs every year, many in communities around the airport.
The draft plan is on public show until December 12 and can be downloaded at https://www.masterplan2045.com.au/.
SYDNEY TAXI FARE CAP TRIAL
Meanwhile, the NSW Government is to trial a flat $60 taxi fare cap for passengers at Sydney Airport heading to the 13-kilometre trip to the CBD.
The 12-month trial was recommended by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal in its report into taxi fares in May.
It will start from November 3 to allow for signs to be installed, an awareness campaign and changes to cab meters.
The government says road tolls and Sydney Airport ground transport access fees must NOT be passed on to the passenger.
The government says complaints they received about taxi drivers taking advantage of first-time arrivals to Sydney include fares of more than $150 for the trip.
It says earlier this year, a Sydney cabbie was fined $2000 for not using his meter to charge an overseas family $188.76 for a trip to the city.
Up to 5000 taxis a day queue for visitors from the airport’s international and domestic terminals.
Government says the practice of overcharging and not using meters has led to drivers touting for business inside the arrivals hall at the airport.
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