Airport Guide

History of Brisbane Airport

Brisbane's first air field was opened at Eagle Farm back in the 1920s, with Australian national carrier Qantas operating regular domestic flights from what is still Archerfield Airport as early as 1926.

The airport then made the history books by first welcoming aviation legend Charles Kingford Smith (after whom Sydney Airport is named) as he completed the first-ever trans-pacific flight in 1928.

Then in the 1940s, Brisbane served as the headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in the Pacific, with this status leading to major expansion.

However, as commercial operations increased in the post-war years, Brisbane's principal airport was moved a few miles north in order to cope with increased expansion.

Making use of land reclamation, a new airport was built on Cribb Island, with international and domestic terminals built over the past few years, as well as regular upgrades to parking facilities and the airport's runways and loading bays.

Plans are currently in place to build a new $1 billion parallel runway at the airport, in addition to significantly expanding the domestic terminal building.

Travelling to Brisbane Airport

From the main terminal buildings, passengers are able to make use of the WirTrain service to link with downtown Brisbane, with services departing every 15 minutes at peak hours and taking 22 minutes to reach the heart of Queensland's capital.

At the same time, train services also operate to the Gold Coast, giving passengers a direct link to some of Australia's finest beaches and surf.

Meanwhile, bus and coach services provide regular links to the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and to the Brisbane Port Terminal.

With the domestic and international terminals at Brisbane Airport situated around two kilometres apart, many passengers make use of the free AirTrain connection service, though taxis as well as a T-Bus
service are also in place for those flyers in a hurry and happy to pay a small fee.

Airlines Flying to Brisbane International

Australia's national carrier Qantas continues to have a strong presence at Brisbane Airport, offering a range of domestic and international flights.

As well as internal services to Adelaide, Alice Springs, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Townsville, the carrier also operates long-haul flights to Hong Kong, LA, Manila, Mumbai, Noumea, Queenstown and Singapore.

Other airlines offering long-haul international services within east Asia include Singapore Airlines, Korean Air, Royal Brunei Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Thai International, Japan Airlines and Cathay
Pacific, while the Middle East is well-connected by Emirates and Etihad.


Over the past few years, Brisbane Airport has started welcoming a number of new cheap airlines offering bargain flights within Australia and New Zealand.

These include JetStar - which also flies to Bali - Brindabella Airlines, Tiger Airways Australia, V Australia, Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue, while several smaller carriers also offer regular links to the Pacific Islands.