Brisbane Airport Corporation and Skyway, a joint venture between BMD Constructions Pty Ltd and CPB Contractors Pty Ltd (a member of the CIMIC Group), have marked the practical completion of Brisbane’s new runway.
“In many respects this runway is symbolic of the very firm belief we have that aircraft will, in the not too distant future, return to the skies and our terminals will once again be full of happy people looking forward to visiting their families, their holidays or to travel to do business,” says Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO Brisbane Airport Corporation. “The last few months have been difficult for everyone in the aviation and travel industries, as well as the whole community, but we have never lost sight of the fact that this project has been built for the long-term. It will serve us well for many decades to come.
“I must commend the entire New Runway team for putting their heart and souls into this project over the last 15 years. Every step of the way the BAC team has been supported by many partners, suppliers and contractors who have contributed to this project. This truly is a project built by the community for the community.
“This new runway is so much more than asphalt; it is an enabler for recovery and growth across all facets of business, with an estimated 7,800 new jobs created by 2035 and an additional five billion dollars in annual economic benefit to the region.
“Now more than ever, it is crucial that we have the infrastructure and mechanisms in place to allow our great city and state to recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic, and Brisbane Airport, and this new runway will play a strong part in that.”
Brisbane Airport Corporation and Skyway, a joint venture between BMD Constructions Pty Ltd and CPB Contractors Pty Ltd (a member of the CIMIC Group), have marked the practical completion of Brisbane’s new runway, which will open on 12 July 2020.
Throughout the life of the project, more than 3,740 people were inducted to work there, with a peak of 650 people onsite in mid-2019. Meanwhile, 324 different subcontractors were engaged during the project – 90% of which were based in South East Queensland.
The new runway landed under budget at $1.1 billion (€650m), a saving of $200 million (€120m) on initial estimates.
Skyway joint venture’s Project Director Graeme Fenemore says the project is demonstrative of a significant engineering feat over a number of years and a dedicated project team who worked diligently to always put safety first. “On behalf of the Skyway joint venture, I am extremely proud to be handing over Brisbane’s new runway ahead of programme, on budget and with an exemplary safety record of zero lost time injuries.”
With practical completion now achieved, the detailed commissioning process for the new runway will continue as part of the wider Operational Readiness and Testing (ORAT) programme. Brisbane’s new runway will open on 12 July 2020.
