Perth Airport reveals 159,000sqm new terminal, targets 2031 completion

Perth Airport released concept designs on 26 October for its new terminal, International Airport Review reported, confirming a 159,000sqm floor plan and a construction program that is now out to tender, with early contractor involvement and contract award targeted for 2027 and completion targeted for 2031.

Why it matters

The new terminal is the centrepiece of Perth Airport’s “One Airport” program, which consolidates operations that are currently spread across four separate terminal buildings into one precinct. At 159,000sqm, the floor area is equivalent to around nine AFL ovals, nearly triple the combined size of the existing Terminals 3 and 4 and about 25 per cent larger than Terminals 1 and 2 combined. Woods Bagot, the Australian firm that also designed Western Sydney International Airport, led the design. For WA developers and contractors, the project is one of the largest construction programs in the state’s pipeline over the next five years, with the main works package now at tender stage. Perth Airport chief executive Jason Waters said “a good airport moves passengers efficiently, but a great airport also gives them a sense of the destination they are in.”

Waters also said the design aims high on sustainability, though the concept release did not specify which measures or ratings the terminal will target. Western Australian Premier Roger Cook described the project as a multi-billion-dollar investment in Perth’s status as a gateway city, but did not disclose a project cost figure.

The numbers

The new terminal adds 22 contact gates for widebody and narrowbody aircraft, including swing gates able to switch between international and domestic operations. The works footprint covers around 79 hectares and includes an expansion of the existing Terminal 1 international building alongside a new domestic terminal. The concept designs also include around 10,000sqm of new retail, dining and hospitality space, plus automated check-in and bag drop technology. Perth Airport handled a record 18.4 million passengers in FY26, up 5.2 per cent on FY25, including 5.55 million international travellers. The airport is forecasting total passenger numbers to reach 30.8 million by FY46, more than 12 million above the FY26 total. No construction cost for the new terminal was disclosed in the concept release.

What’s next

The main works contract is in a request-for-tender phase, with Perth Airport targeting early contractor involvement and contract award in 2027. Perth Airport is targeting completion of the new terminal around 2031. For WA contractors and suppliers, the request-for-tender stage is the first point at which firm scope and trade packages will be released.