Geoff Thomas (aka Biggles), in The West today:
Passengers to take buses to planes
Congestion at Perth Airport will force Qantas to start bussing domestic passengers to and from flights at peak times in an effort to eliminate inbound planes being held on taxiways for up to 30 minutes for a standard parking bay.
From next month, Qantas will use buses for at least four flights in the morning and the same number late in the evening because holding aircraft on taxiways is severely disrupting operations and irritating passengers.
Separately, Airservices Australia is introducing a new gate-to-gate air traffic control program that will monitor flights between Sydney and Perth over the entire route and slow them when congestion at Perth is expected.
The congestion at the domestic airport has forced Skywest Airlines and Alliance Airlines to bus passengers for some time but it is a first for Qantas. It is expected the bussing will be mainly for Boeing 717 to regional destinations such as Paraburdoo, Exmouth and Newrnan. The airline will bus passengers in increasing numbers until the new regional Terminal WA and domestic pier off the international terminal for Virgin Blue are completed in 2013.
Those terminals were delayed firstly by the global financial crisis and then by a radical change of requirements for Virgin Blue, which necessitated a redesign by Perth Airport to provide a dedicated pier off the international terminal with aerobridges.
Once the new terminals on the international side of the airport are completed Qantas will expand into Terminal 3, currently occupied by Virgin Blue, Skywest and Alliance.
Perth Airport yesterday issued tender documents to five building companies for TWA construction.
An airport spokesman said that tenders would close in late May with construction to commence within three months. TWA will have fully enclosed walkways which will eliminate the need for bussing by airlines. Perth Airport is also strengthening the tarmac around Qantas' domestic terminal so it can handle widebody aircraft such as A330s and 767s.
Next month, Qantas starts a double daily 747-400 service between Sydney and Perth, which marks a return of the Boeing 747 to domestic routes.
Passenger traffic at Perth was up 9.4 per cent for the eight months to February 28, and for the full year total passengers are expected to top 11.4 million.