Brisbane Airport to offer morning Tai Chi after $45m refurbishment
Date October 28, 2015 - 4:31PM
Jamie Freed
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Brisbane Airport chief executive Julieanne Alroe says not one detail has been overlooked and the renovations result is outstanding Photo: Jen Dainer
An airport isn't your typical venue for morning Tai Chi. But that is among the activities that will be open to passengers on a new lawn-like area in the centre of Brisbane Airport's international terminal after the operator completed a $45 million facelift.
The 20-year-old international terminal was already light and airy relative to rival facilities around Australia but now it has an added tropical ambience with greenery and chairs made of locally-sourced spotted gum timber to help give passengers a sense of place. There are also lounge chairs facing the windows allowing passengers to relax and sunbathe indoors.
"The look and the feel is quintessentially Brisbane," Brisbane Airport chief executive Julieanne Alroe said at the official opening of the 18-month project on Wednesday. "Not one detail has been overlooked and the result is outstanding."
New retail and food and beverage options have been added, including new walk-through duty free stores for arrivals and departures, and the free wifi has been upgraded to help improve the passenger experience. Brisbane Airport already offers Australia's first electronic departure cards through its mobile application and is looking to add mobile arrivals cards in the future.
In addition, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and private operator Plaza Premium are building new lounges offering mezzanine views of the terminal that will open next year, along with a day spa where passengers can pay for pre-flight massages or manicures.
Qantas is expanding its existing lounge area, adding additional space upstairs and revamping it into a combined business and first class lounge in the style of its award-winning offerings in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Infrastructure and Regional Development Minister Warren Truss, who himself is a Queenslander and uses Brisbane Airport as a gateway, said the new international terminal was "a magnificent welcome statement" for Queensland.
"Undoubtedly it is the finest international terminal in Australia," he said. "It is a great place to arrive and depart from. It is welcome and inviting but also it is less congested in many ways than some of the other big city airports which makes the arrivals such a challenge for many, many people."
Brisbane is the third-largest airport in Australia, behind Sydney and Melbourne, with around 5 million international passengers a year.
The reporter travelled to Brisbane as a guest of Brisbane Airport
