Brisbane Airport is decommissioning a cross runway in order to park its grounded aircraft.
This decision is one of the measures that the airport has taken in order to store unused aircraft, as well as allocating parking zones as storage and accommodating 100 planes free of charge.
The runway was planned to be decommissioned in May as part of the Operational Readiness and Testing program for the airport’s new runway. However, the current COVID-19 crisis that is having a significant impact on the aviation industry has led to Brisbane Airport’s decision to bring the process forward.
The additional parking zones include runway 14/32, Taxiway Papa and various other aprons, modified to accommodate the aircraft. It is anticipated that aircraft manufactured by the likes of Boeing, Airbus and ATR for various airlines will all be stored here.
As domestic airlines are still permitted to fly, Brisbane Airport still expects to cater for narrowbody aircraft which are being used for regional services. Although it will be operating a heavily reduced capacity, the airport will remain open as it pledges to “keep the lights on and the front door to Queensland open.”
The airport continues to work with airlines to offer support on a case by case basis, looking to “remain confident that recovery will come and that we must be ready to not only return to normal, but to prosper.”
