The first flights will take off and land on Brisbane Airport’s new runway on July 12 this year after eight years of construction.
However, timings of the first arrival and departure have not yet been confirmed.
The line marking of the new runway and accompanying taxiways commenced this week, marking the final component of the construction programme for the project.
Over the next four to six weeks, more than 6,780 litres of paint will be placed on the runway and taxiways, spanning 120 kilometres in length, said the airport.
The airport also said the largest paint strip for the project is the two aiming points located at each end of the runway, which each measure 60 metres long by nine metres wide.
“Following the completion of the line marking, the detailed commissioning process for the new ground lighting, navigational aids and control tower systems will commence,” said the airport.
Gert-Jan de Graaff, chief executive officer of Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), said today’s announcement was a significant milestone for Brisbane given the new runway has been part of long-term planning for more than 40 years.
“We are seeing firsthand that the new runway is bringing more flights, destinations and choices for the travelling public, and this growth will only strengthen from 12 July 2020,” he said.
He said Brisbane residents could visit BAC’s Flight Path Tool for information such as aircraft volume forecasts and expected noise footprints for current and future flight paths.
The airport said before the runway becomes operational, community members will be given a “rare” opportunity to participate in two special events held on the runway site.
The new runway is expected to be brought to completion at a cost of A$1.1 billion (US$725 million), saving A$200 million (US$132 million), said the airport.
