Sydney Airport Upgrade Plan Going Well, Says Chief Executive

By Neville D'Cruz MELBOURNE (Australia), June 15 (Bernama) -- Talks between Sydney Airport and airlines to reconfigure the airport are going well, said Sydney Airport chief executive, Kerrie Mather. The airport was now halfway through a 12-month consultation period with airlines, including Qantas Airways, over plans to merge the domestic and international terminals, the Australian Associated Press reports. "It's in everyone's interests to ensure that those changes are incorporated, so we've asked for the reasons why the masterplan has actually been brought forward," Mather said in Sydney, Thursday. As part of the upgrade, Qantas and Sydney Airport had signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the early reversion of Qantas' leases of terminals at Sydney Airport. Under the plan, the domestic terminals would accommodate Qantas, its international partners and Jetstar, and the international terminal would take Virgin Australia and other international airlines. Qantas has a long-term lease over its terminal and jet base which expired in 2019. Mather said the changes would improve the airport's attractiveness as an international hub and deliver a better passenger experience. Over the next few years, Sydney Airport expects to benefit from a renewed period of growth, spurred by low cost carriers and growth in emerging markets such as China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Latin America. "Sydney Airport is ideally located in a position to accommodate that growth," Mather said. The first part of the upgrade, which was announced last December, would involve moving the jet base and the air traffic control tower. -- BERNAMA