Newsroom

While most of us wouldn't dream of rolling up to the international terminal with panniers full of luggage, there's a growing cohort who'd love to ride to Brisbane Airport — and the newly approved Brisbane Airport Master Plan 2026 is designed with exactly them in mind.

The federal government has given clearance to Brisbane Airport Corporation's ambitious 20-year blueprint, a sweeping plan that takes the airport from its current 26 million passengers per year to a projected 50 million. South East Queensland is one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, and with more people and more passengers, active transport features prominently in the plan.

The approval by Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, sets the course for how Brisbane Airport will evolve to support greater Brisbane, strengthen global connectivity, and drive economic growth across the state. 

Currently home to around 25,000 workers, the airport precinct is expected to double that figure to 50,000 employees over the next two decades. At present, an estimated five per cent of those workers use some form of public transport to get to work. Active transport represents a significant opportunity to change that, and the BAC seem to recognise this.

‘Active transport: Active transport is emerging as a critical element to transport and recreation, with connectivity, accessibility and safety being the main areas of concern for users, creating an opportunity for Brisbane Airport to incorporate this into its existing transport network.’

At present, there are around 22km of cycleways alongside the precinct's 87km of internal roads. The master plan builds on this and identifies connectivity, accessibility and safety as the three key pillars of its active transport vision. 

Speaking on ABC radio Brisbane, the BAC’s Head of planning, Michael Jarvis, said plenty of his own team already ride to work, and that fixing ‘missing links’ in the cycling network is very much on the agenda. He added that the Brisbane City Council and the Department of Transport and Main Roads are both supportive of a sharper focus on active transport as the airport precinct evolves.

With the 2032 Brisbane Olympics adding impetus to the entire transport conversation, the timing for meaningful cycling infrastructure couldn't be better.