Sydney Airport 20 year Master Plan

[Gerard M]

Interesting article on some peoples doubts that Sydney Airport will not be able to cope with the increased demand over the next 20 years. I know its been covered in the previous thread but any White Paper release of the location for the second airport yet? Or is it still toooo early for it to be released.

AN EXPERT report is set to cast doubt on claims by debt-laden Sydney Airport that it can handle a more than doubling of passengers to 79 million a year over the next 20 years. Such doubt will bolster the case for speeding up plans for a second airport for the city.
The findings are also expected to highlight the need for the Macquarie Group-controlled Sydney Airport to inject more funding into infrastructure over the longer term at Kingsford Smith, which is frequently criticised as one of the world's most expensive airports.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-...0616-cglx.html

[D Chan]

my bet is they will spend another 10 years debating the site of a new airport before they do anything productive..

[Karl M]

Why do they need to go & build a second airport?

Have they not heard of land reclamation? Botany Bay awaits them!

[Kelvin R]

Or Nationalisation? Just take Sydney Airport back from MAP for a bargain and give it back to the Fed Govt to run after the airport falls over from its debt levels.

[Andrew M]

Get rid of the curfew for starters.

[Malcolm Parker]

.......and move the cargo ramps onto the other side of Qantas drive for a expansion of the international terminal. When is that supposed to be started?

[Jarden S]

And build a fourth runway paralel to the east west runway to increase capacity for greater aircraft movements. Also lift the hourly cap from 80 movements to 120 movements.

[Nigel C]

Just where do you propose the fourth runway strip to be located? Don't forget, the current Port Botany expansion and associated works will impact heavily on the airspace further north than the current port setup.

Sorry, but it just ain't gonna happen.

[Philip Argy]

According to The Age, the Minister approved the 20 year plan this afternoon:

Govt approves Sydney airport plan
Adam Bennett

June 19, 2009 - 5:14PM
The federal government has approved a 20-year master plan for Sydney Airport, saying it will maintain the existing curfew and cap on flights.
Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would continue to explore options for a second airport, something Qantas says will be a necessity.
The plan allows the airport to increase the proportion of its site used for aviation purposes from 86 to 91 per cent, expand freight handling facilities and provide more gates at the domestic and international terminals.
"Sydney Airport Corporation plans to further develop the site in order to support the aviation activities so critical to the economy," Mr Albanese said in a statement on Friday.
"Already, this critical piece of aviation infrastructure handles about a third of the nation's air traffic, generates approximately $8 billion in annual economic activity and supports more than 200,000 jobs."
He added: "The government is absolutely committed to maintaining the existing cap on movements as well as the curfew".
He said the airport's long-term traffic forecasts were "further evidence that Sydney will require new airport capacity".
The master plan says passenger numbers will increase by 4.2 per cent each year, reaching 78.9 million passengers arriving on 427,000 flights by 2029.
"My approval of the master plan does not indicate acceptance that the airport can and should handle the projected growth in traffic," Mr Albanese said.
"Such traffic volumes would place considerable added pressure on those communities living around the Airport.
"The national interest dictates that Sydney will need new airport capacity."
No Aircraft Noise president Allan Rees labelled Mr Albanese's approval of the plan "pathetic" and "weak", saying it would lead to more flights and more noise.
He also dismissed claims that noise from the airport will decrease from 2024 due to larger, quieter planes.
"The airport is saying the noise will drop between 2024 and 2029 - big deal, it's getting worse to 2024, but 2029 will be much worse than now," he told AAP.
"The number of planes will swamp the individual improvements in aircraft."
Sydney Airport welcomed the plan, with chief executive Russell Balding saying facilities such as terminals, hangars and car parks would be progressively upgraded over the next 20 years.
Qantas said the plan's approval provided certainty about the airport's development, with the airline also supporting the push for a second airport.
"Sydney Airport is Australia's principal aviation hub and will remain a key piece of infrastructure as far as the Qantas Group's operations are concerned," Qantas spokesman David Epstein said.
"It is timely to start now on looking at a site for a second airport in the Sydney basin to ensure that future international and domestic aviation growth opportunities can be realised."
Mr Albanese said the NSW government had also been invited to take part in a study to look at ways of increasing the city's airport capacity, including consideration of options for a second airport.
"It will also consider the future of the Badgerys Creek site given the government has ruled it out as an option for a second airport," he said.
The study's final terms of reference will be outlined in the National Aviation White Paper expected to be released later this year, Mr Albanese said.

[D Chan]

a second airport would be great for airlines and passengers. Having a second airport would offer more options for passengers and more importantly for airlines - AND it will break the monopoly thus pushing down those airport charges.

Suffice to say Macq won't be too eager for that to happen!