How the Pandemic has impacted
Australia’s Brisbane Airport
Similar approaches to the crisis as Port Authority airports, and terminals
An interview with Gert-
Jan DeGraaff, former CEO
of JFKIAT (Terminal 4) now
CEO of Australia’s Brisbane
Airport Corporation (BAC).
Discussion how our neighbor
“down under” has managed
the Covid pandemic in its airport
operations.
Q-How has
COVID-19 impacted
Brisbane Airport?
A-The situation for aviation
in Australia – a land locked entirely
by sea – is quite unique
when compared to anywhere
else in the world, as we have
shut our international borders
completely throughout
the pandemic. The COVID 19
pandemic is undoubtedly one
of the toughest challenges the
aviation industry has ever
faced. Almost without exception,
every business in aviation
is suffering huge losses.
Pre-pandemic, international
traffic accounted for
25 per cent of passengers at
Brisbane Airport, 50 per cent
of Brisbane Airport Corporation’s
revenue, and 50 per cent
of Brisbane Airport’s workforce,
which was estimated at
24,000 before COVID.
With international passenger
numbers down 98 per cent,
our in-terminal retailers who
rely so heavily on foot traffic
have been forced to close
many stores and negatively
impacting thousands of workers.
While the international
border closure has protected
our domestic market, Brisbane
Airport’s passenger
numbers for the 2020 calendar
year were still 66.6 per
cent down when compared
to 2019, marking a 26-year
low. Our strongest market
throughout COVID has been
intrastate travel*
Q-What immediate
changes did you
have to make in
response to the
pandemic?
We immediately re-scaled
our planned capital works
program to better reflect
and align with lower passenger
forecasts for the coming
years. Our current focus is on
streamlining airport operations,
enhancing the passenger
12 AIRPORT VOICE, MARCH 2021
experience, and maintaining
compliance with industry
standards.
For BAC, we immediately
structured the company for
crisis, and now recovery
– using a cross-functional
approach that allowed us
to get things done quickly
and allow everyone to focus
on what’s important.
BAC’s approach to COVID
has been, largely, divided
into three phases: Crisis; Response;
and Recovery.
Q-What initiatives
are you focusing
on during 2021 to
rebuild passenger
confidence?
A-Passenger safety and
wellbeing is always our top
priority. We have introduced
a range of measures through
our COVID-Safe Plan. The
plan was developed in collaboration
with the Queensland
Government
We have increased the frequency
of cleaning throughout
the airport, especially
in high touch areas such as
counters, touch screens, security
screening, lifts and travellators
and are using hospital
grade cleaning products.
Hand sanitizer units and
antibacterial wipe dispensers,
social distancing signage and
floor markers are in place, and
masks are required throughout
the terminal precincts and regular
audio announcements are
made to remind passengers to
practice social distancing.
An agreed inter-agency
COVID response plan has
been developed between BAC
and state and federal government
departments to set out
specific operational instructions
and infection control
processes.
BA has received international
endorsement for its COVID
Safe practices with Airports
Council International
(ACI) awarding it Airport
Health Accreditation (AHA).
Q-What other
exciting projects/
developments are
in the pipeline
at Brisbane Airport
The economic impacts of
COVID have meant all nonmaintenance
related developments
have been paused. One
is a new multi-level car park
at the International Terminal,
which will cater for growing
passenger numbers once international
travel returns.
There have, however, been
a couple exciting additions to
our Domestic Terminal that
were committed as part of the
$40 million redevelopment
that commenced in mid-2018.
In December we opened
our brand-new LEGO store.
We also opened The Aviary –
an exquisite café and bar offering
table service and an exceptional
view of the tarmac.
The importance of Brisbane‘
s new runway which
opened in July 2020 cannot be
overstated, particularly now
as we work towards recovery.
It is an enabler of social, cultural,
and economic growth.
We often talk about the fact
that by 2035, the runway will
generate 7,800 new jobs and
an additional $5 billion in annual
economic benefit to the
region. I think as the world
grapples with the COVID-19
situation, the importance of
the runway in this moment
lies in allowing Brisbane and
Queensland to support industries
in recovery.
We are also powering
along with the BNE Auto
Mall, which is the largest nonaviation
Brisbane Airport
has undertaken to date. BNE
Auto Mall will revolutionize
the way people buy and experience
vehicles, with flagship
automotive dealerships
alongside experience centers
exhibition and conference facilities,
hotels, event areas,
commercial offices, and associated
amenities. The heart
of the precinct will be a 2.3-kilometre
performance track
that will feature a 4WD demo
course, maneuvering course,
low-friction handling circuit,
kick plate, skid pan, and a dedicated
slalom area.
Q-Are there
any initiatives
that you have
implemented during
the COVID-19
pandemic that you
will permanently
integrate into your
airport’s strategy?
Our focus has been on
streamlining airport operations,
enhancing the passenger
experience, maintaining
compliance with
industry standards, and fostering
greater collaboration
across the business.
We have committed to the
Australian Government mandated
screening equipment
upgrade across both terminals,
bringing Brisbane Airport’s
security screening
standards in line with major
airports around the world.
Through this upgrade, all
metal detectors will be replaced
with body scanning
equipment and carry-on baggage
screening conveyors will
be replaced with computed tomography
(CT) scanning systems.
The upgrades will provide
an added and enhanced
layer of security while also
offering a streamlined, noninvasive
screening process for
passengers.
Through collaboration
came a commitment to ensuring
BA was doing all it could to
support our partners. In April
of 2020, we launched ‘BNE
Marketplace’ – an ecommerce
solution that continues to support
our retailer partners by
providing an online channel to
deliver ‘virtual pax’ during a
time where foot traffic within
the International Terminal is
down by around 98 per cent.
With domestic travel still
occurring, we have been able
to keep most of our F&B partners
within the Domestic Terminal
operating through our
approved COVID-Safe Plan.
Throughout, BA worked
closely with its business partners
to keep the flow of insights
and intelligence going
in both directions. We
delivered a Business Partner
Portal to ensure those most
in need had COVID-related
information and resources
available when needed. This
Portal remains a critical communications
and stakeholder
engagement platform that provides
a single source of truth
for airport partners.
Q- What is your
business outlook?
While we are seeing a glimmer
of hope with slowly growing
schedules and passengers
here at Brisbane Airport, full
recovery to pre-COVID passenger
numbers will take
many, many years.
It is an important step to
re-establishing international
aviation activity, and we will
continue to work closely with
all relevant bodies to ensure
we are ready to go for future
two-way travel bubbles.
While COVID continues to
present much uncertainty in
terms of what the short-term
future holds, I am confident in
the resilience of the aviation
industry and the adaptability
of our team.
We have kept the lights
on and our airfield fully operational
during the darkest
of days, ensuring essential
health, repatriation and
freight flights could continue.