Welcome to the AAA National Airport Industry Awards 2022

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) National Airport Industry Awards celebrate and honour contributions and achievements made by AAA Members over the past financial year.

The Awards seek to acknowledge the organisations who have achieved excellence within Australia’s airport industry.

It has been an incredibly challenging time for airports — dealing with the impacts of the pandemic and continuing to provide a world class service for passengers — so it’s fantastic to be able to recognise the incredible hard work, resilience and varied achievements of our members.

Participating in the Awards helps you to highlight your most outstanding qualities, largest
successes and creative initiatives during the year.

Good luck to you all and we look forward to seeing you at the AAA National Conference
and Gala Dinner in Adelaide this November.

James Goodwin
Chief Executive
Australian Airports Association

 

2022 Award Categories and Nominees

Airport of the Year Awards

Small Regional (non-RPT) Aerodrome of the Year

Due to a limited number of nominees, details will not be released until the ceremony.

Small Regional (RPT) Airport of the Year

Due to a limited number of nominees, details will not be released until the ceremony.

Large Regional Airport of the Year

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport: Ballina Byron Gateway Airport supporting the community – New South Wales flood events 2022
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport provided continued safe operations throughout flood events which supported the community and the rescue efforts of the flood effected areas in Northern NSW

Townsville Airport: Townsville Airport
The Townsville Airport terminal project has been in the pipeline for several years and was scheduled to move ahead, after a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan was secured, when COVID-19 hit. But the pause button needed to be pushed again when the financial realities of the pandemic became clear. Securing a $9.15 million Federal Government Regional Airports Screening Infrastructure (RASI) grant was an opportunity to both accommodate mandated security screening equipment and deliver critical elements of the broader redevelopment. The result, which included other important works, was transformational. And it was delivered at the perfect time, as passenger numbers rebuilt.

Whitsunday Coast Airport: Navigating through & prospering in a COVID world
A major focus for the Whitsunday Coast Airport in business development has been to attract new carriers and new destinations to increase passenger and air movement, plus the introduction of freight operations.

Major Airport of the Year (not based in a capital city)

Gold Coast Airport: Gold Coast Airport terminal expansion
Gold Coast Airport was among the airports most severely impacted by pandemic management measures and, since borders reopened, it was perhaps the quickest of the majors to return to pre-COVID-19 passenger numbers. It has continued to succeed operationally, despite the quick ramp up. Gold Coast Airport operations will be supported by a three-level expansion, which will double the terminal footprint when it recently opened in September. The expansion is a game-changer – future-proofing the airport. While there were significant challenges continuing work throughout the pandemic, its delivery in recovery has ensured the airport will be perfectly placed for the years to come.

Launceston Airport: Launceston Airport keeping northern Tasmania safe
Throughout 2021 and into 2022, Biosecurity Tasmania and the State Government implemented ongoing strict border controls to manage COVID cases entering the state. This resulted in the construction of a temporary biosecurity COVID border control facility at Launceston Airport. The facility was developed using IATA levels of service standards, designed for two Code C arrivals. It included a disability access lane and provided temporary toilets. Constructing the facility meant reconfiguring the ground level of the terminal, including the installation of temporary walls, removal of glazing and installation of a new DDA-compliant ramp.

Metro Airport of the Year (located in the greater Metropolitan area of a capital city)

Archerfield Airport: Year of ‘firsts’ propels Archerfield’s modernisation
The pace of Archerfield’s redevelopment continued in late2021-2022 with Project AIM Stage 2 delivering a fully reconstructed, wider, stronger Taxiway Bravo that complements the airport’s new main runway, completed as part of Stage 1 in early 2021.Stage 3 also began this year with the reconstruction of Taxiway Hotel and the Eastern Apron and the airport’s first Apron floodlighting.In a year of ‘firsts’, Transition’s first building was completed, its first tenant was secured and Archerfield opened its first History Room.All this was achieved amid an ongoing pandemic, Brisbane’s destructive floods, economic disruption and supply chain breakdowns

Essendon Fields Airport: 100 years of Essendon Airport
In August 2021 Essendon Fields Airport celebrated its 100th birthday. Given the pandemic challenges, we aimed to produce multi-faceted ways the community could celebrate, culminating in an Open Day on Sunday 27 March 2022 where around 25,000 people attended. The EF100 Open Day created an open and transparent exchange of information, with a focus on the people involved, from emergency service pilots, to neighbouring residents, local indigenous leaders, our landscape gardens who act as our sustainability partners and State MPs.

Moorabbin Airport: A Safe, Sustainable & Improved Airfield
Moorabbin Airport completed our five year, $15 million dollar whole of airfield improvement project whilst retaining 100% operational status. The airfield renewal delivers safe and sustainable flight training operations for the long term. Elements include: Multi runway pavement– 135,000sqm resealed Runway and taxiway lights – 460 upgraded to LED, including 12km of wiring, pits, and controls. Storm-water dry retarding basin – 175,000 m3 of infrastructure engineered and constructed to manage 1:100-year event. Replacement of 39 MAG Signs, radio frequency signs and 350+ airfield markers, cones, and gables. Taxiway hotspot improvement program. Airside parking extended for 50+ less active aircraft

Capital City of the Year

Adelaide International Airport: Everyone’s favourite airport
Adelaide Airport has completed a $200 million dollar expansion of its domestic and international terminal, on time and on budget and in the midst of COVID lockdowns. International upgrades saw the expansion and an addition of baggage belts for arrivals, relocated immigration and security screening and refurbished immigration processing, a larger duty-free precinct for arrivals and departures, and expanded and refurbished dining and retail options. The project was completed despite significant COVID challenges, and demonstrated how Adelaide Airport successfully navigated the pandemic, with balance sheet intact, and positioned itself to remain an industry leader with solid foundations for growth.

Brisbane Airport: Brisbane Airport overcomes flood, tornado and COVID to claim a place in history
In 2021, Brisbane Airport assumed the role of Australia’s busiest airport, an incredible milestone in the nation’s century of aviation. This historic position was achieved despite the Omicron and Delta variants, a Flood which submerged its legacy runway, and a Tornado which struck the precinct. Far from just surviving, Brisbane Airport thrived. It was recognised by Skytrax as Best Airport and Best Airport Staff, and Cleanest Airport in Australia / Pacific. Not content with the status-quo, Brisbane Airport will be a Net Zero airport by 2025, using 100% green energy and establishing an onsite carbon removal asset.

Canberra Airport: Continually evolving amidst the turbulence
During the last 12 months, Canberra Airport’s focus, strategy, and motivation in every business sector have focused on a single objective: a robust recovery. These recovery efforts compelled Canberra Airport to search for solutions to build confidence in its customers, tenants, partners, and community. This was accomplished through initiatives such as increasing our domestic offerings, competition, and passenger choice, enhancing retail, and bringing back one of Canberra’s largest events, signalling our commitment to the community. In addition, our leadership’s unwavering advocacy was also crucial to changing health regulations for airports and facilitating the aviation industry’s rapid recovery.

Melbourne Airport: Melbourne. From lockdown to leader
Melbourne Airport not just rebounding from the significant impacts caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but is now thriving, by leading the way in sustainability, passenger experience and infrastructure investment. In the past 12 months Melbourne Airport committed to an ambitious target of net zero (Scope 1 and 2) emissions by 2025, rebuilt capacity while attracting new airlines and new direct services, delivered an innovative, Australian-first Uber airport product, undertook extensive consultation on plans for a third runway, continued investment in infrastructure to improve the traveller experience and worked with partners to help rebuild the aviation workforce.

Perth Airport: Ready for recovery
The operational and financial impact of Covid on the aviation sector was swift and brutal. There was extreme uncertainty as to when border restrictions would be lifted and when recovery may commence. Notwithstanding the enormous financial challenges, Perth Airport made a conscious strategic decision to bring together a range of initiatives under the banner of “Airport Ready” to ensure our airport needed to be ready to rebound and recover as quickly as possible. The foresight of this approach became even more apparent as it became clear that WA’s strict border restrictions would be the last to be lifted across Australia.

Airport Excellence Awards

Commercial

Brisbane Airport: Hitting fast forward on property development
As Delta & Omicron pushed COVID-19 into yet another year, the need to accelerate Brisbane Airport’s property portfolio became more critical. In response, BNE found a new successful model to super-charge property development. It formed the Airport City Development Committee (ACDC), made up of teams from across the business, with one objective – to rapidly boost property development. There was also a major shift from risk prevention to opportunity seeking. The whole of BAC focused on becoming an ‘Airport City’, a place which creates jobs for generations to come. This is now creating positive momentum for years to come.

Perth Airport: T1 International Aspire Lounge
Passengers departing internationally from Perth Airport can now experience a world-class lounge experience following the development of the T1 International Aspire Lounge, the first pay-per-use international lounge in Western Australia. The lounge development converted 560m2 of the airport’s 1987 Control Centre as well as a portion of the public viewing deck on level 3 and reconfigured, rezoned and connected the space to the international departures area situated on level 2. This clever use of space has unlocked valuable commercial opportunity ahead of the airport’s future major redevelopment.

Infrastructure

Adelaide International Airport: Adelaide’s $200m terminal expansion – Connecting SA to the world
Adelaide Airport has delivered on a $200 million expansion of its domestic and international terminal. It is the airport’s biggest infrastructure project since the completion of its existing terminal building in 2005, and was delivered on time and on budget in the midst of the biggest upheaval in global aviation history. International upgrades saw the expansion and an addition of baggage belts for arrivals, relocated immigration and security screening and refurbished immigration processing, a larger duty-free precinct for arrivals and departures, and expanded and refurbished dining and retail options.

Merimbula Airport: Merimbula Airport runway extension
2022 saw the culmination of over 5 years of planning with the commissioning of Merimbula Airports starter extension project. This project increased the runway length by 120m both at North and South end providing an effective take off length of 1720m increasing the range of aircraft that can safely operate out of Merimbula. The project required innovative thinking from the initial planning and approvals phases through to the design and construction phase to manage the many environmental constraints involved extending a runway into Merimbula Lake a key tourism attraction and the home of Merimbula oyster industry.

Port Lincoln Airport: Airside walkway safety fencing
Port Lincoln Airport has multiple Airlines working in the same space, sometimes simultaneously, with members of the public airside, boarding and disembarking with passengers under the direction of Airline staff. Whilst there were specific pathway/walkways, it was identified that it is sometimes difficult to marshal passengers when they are distracted or not paying attention to the designated walkways, or not following directions of staff. Port Lincoln Airport in an effort to ensure public safety, implemented and installed pedestrian fencing to provide a passive marshalling aid.

Sydney Airport: 16R Threshold: Ready for the next fifty years
In July 2021 Sydney Airport began early works for the reconstruction of the 16R threshold – a 9,200 square metre concrete slab at the northern end of Sydney Airport’s main north-south runway. Prior to COVID, this runway captures approximately 160,000 aircraft movements a year. Constructed in 1968, the pre-existing concrete slab had reached its expected design life and required replacement to ensure ongoing safety standards were maintained and ensure Sydney Airport’s busiest runway can run smoothly well into the future.

Townsville Airport: Townsville Airport terminal upgrade
The Townsville Airport terminal project has been in the pipeline for several years and was scheduled to move ahead, after a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan was secured, when COVID-19 hit. But the pause button needed to be pushed again when the financial realities of the pandemic became clear. Securing a $9.15 million Federal Government Regional Airports Screening Infrastructure (RASI) grant was an opportunity to both accommodate mandated security screening equipment and deliver critical elements of the broader redevelopment. The result, which included other important works, was transformational. And it was delivered at the perfect time, as passenger numbers rebuilt.

Innovation

Brisbane Airport: Brazilian Keyhole Wasps given no-fly orders around Brisbane Airport
The Brazilian Keyhole Wasp is a significant risk to aviation safety around the world. This introduced predatory wasp builds its nests in small cavities (such as aircraft pitot probes) and provisions them with paralysed caterpillars collected from the managed grassland areas. Since 2010 wasp numbers have increased dramatically at Brisbane Airport with more than 26 wasp-related aircraft safety incidents. The IVM Program uses a natural insecticide found in the bark of a tree in South America, implemented in collaboration with our consulting partner the IVM Group, and has recorded remarkable success, watched on by the world.

Hobart Airport: Connecting Communities: Corporate Social Responsibility Program
Connecting Communities is the heart of what we do, breaking the mould of a traditional airport business and shifting our focus to empower the community we serve. As a major economic driver for Tasmania, we have a responsibility to understand and address issues affecting our community. Supporting our charitable partners, our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program positively impacts our community, driving mass awareness on key social issues. We believe it is no longer acceptable for organisations to ignore the social issues impacting their communities, nor stand silent as vulnerable groups fall further behind.

Melbourne Airport: Uber PIN
In December Melbourne Airport became the first airport in Australia to adopt Uber’s innovative PIN technology, which gives arriving passengers a smoother and safer journey by matching them with the first available ride at a dedicated kerbside pickup point. Riders now request a ride in the Uber app and then give their driver-partner a PIN before hopping in, rather than requesting and locating the right car once they arrive. The new system has reduced passenger wait times by an average 42% while customer Net Promoter Scores have increased by 18%.

Operations

No nominations were received for this Award in 2022

Sustainability

Brisbane Airport: Cutting emissions using artificial intelligence
Brisbane Airport has implemented an artificial intelligence system to take control of air conditioning at the Brisbane Airport Service Centre. The aim is to reduce carbon emissions, and work towards our target of Net Zero by 2025. This is the first initiative of its kind globally for an airport operator. The cloud-based AI, known as BrainBox, reduced energy consumption by 20%, cutting carbon emissions by 22 tonnes over 3 months. This is equivalent to taking 19 cars off the road. Brisbane Airport Corporation is now deploying this technology throughout the airport.

Melbourne Airport: Melbourne Airport’s commitment to circular economy principles
Melbourne Airport has emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic as an Australia leader in airport sustainability, with an ambitious emissions reduction target and by embracing circular economy principles to treat PFAS-contaminated materials for re-use in other projects. Like many airports around the world, Melbourne Airport continues to manage PFAS across its precinct. As well as continuing to hold parties accountable for PFAS contamination, Melbourne Airport is taking a proactive approach to managing PFAS by treating contaminated soil, water, concrete and asphalt on site and re-using these materials as part of the airport’s commitment to circular economy principles.

Merimbula Airport: Runway strengthening project – Foamed bitumen stabilisation
The runway strengthening project at Merimbula Airport was aimed at increasing the life of the runway, increasing the height to better deal with future sea level rises and to increase the strength rating of the pavement. After investigating several options Council opted for a foamed bitumen stabilisation solution. The stabilisation of the existing materials provided a more sustainable alternative to deep-lift asphalt pavements. This solution allowed Council to recycle and regenerate the existing material and limiting the requirement for new imported material.

Mildura Airport: Retention of key personnel strategy – COVID-19
The employee retention strategy was implemented to ensure that Mildura Airport could offer continuous employment to key personnel affected by the pandemic by initiating airport enhancement projects which provided work opportunities to those most affected.

Port Lincoln Airport: Solar array project
To move towards environmental sustainability, and to meet the strategic goals of minimising our impact in our natural environment, the Port Lincoln Airport investigated the use of solar panels to generate electricity. Investigations found that the use of solar energy aids in protecting the environment by effectively offsetting carbon emissions. Solar energy also promotes innovation and has the added benefit of lowering the cost of operations.

Corporate Project of the Year Awards

Small Regional Airport/Aerodrome

Downer EDI Works: Tibooburra Aerodrome upgrades – Runway resealing
As part of NSW government commitment to upgrading regional aerodromes, Tibooburra underwent a full runway, taxiway and apron reseal. Although site operations ran smoothly, as a result of meticulous planning as a result of coming off the back of working on Sydney Airport and became a custom to operating under strict curfew timeframes and restrictions. Most of the challenges were met throughout the planning phase; – Lack of local quarry resource; – Unseasonal rainfall flooding the quarry; – Truck routes flooded; – Government elections, government office hoping to complete before elections for positive publicity; – Winter season; – Accommodation shortages

Fulton Hogan Infrastructure Services: Groote Eylandt Airport runway project
Groote Eylandt Airport is an airport serving Groote Eylandt, an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Territory, 640km east southeast of Darwin. It is owned and operated by South32 to support Groote Eylandt Mining Company’s manganese mining operations on Groote Eylandt. Fulton Hogan was awarded a D&C contract in late 2021 because the single runway was severely cracked and deteriorating, posing a risk to the operation of the aerodrome and the mine. It took 6 months to meticulously plan just 3 weeks of work, conducted at night, returning the airport to service at 6am every morning.

Queensland Airport Lighting: Hamilton Island apron floodlight survey robot
With focus to Workplace Health and Safety in the workplace, as well as aerodrome compliance obligations, Apron floodlighting is one of the elements that continues to cause frustration for aerodrome operators, designers, service contractors and regulators to easily establish the safety and compliance status of apron floodlighting. Historically, the method of testing this has been an arduous and expensive task to complete. We have developed and built, an illuminance survey robot that can be programmed to autonomously test, record and report illuminance levels and provide graphic scaled reports.

Large Regional Airport

Downer EDI Works: Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport – Runway preservation treatment
The projects purpose was to sustainably double the life of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport’s existing runway & taxiway flexible pavements. The project was initiated by Phil Bell (Airport Consultancy Group) to ensure that the existing runway and taxiways pavements (constructed in 2014) continue to perform as intended, without the need for any major maintenance intervention, except for the re-application of the surface treatments in 5 years. The successful delivery and application of Rhinophalt on Sydney Airport’s Runway 07/25 and Mackay Airport’s Runway 14/32 in 2019, provided ACG with the confidence to recommend Downer to the management of Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport.

GHD, GHDWoodhead & BMD: Maintenance hangar precinct for Rockhampton Airport
The Maintenance Hangar Precinct delivers a dedicated aircraft maintenance facility at Rockhampton Airport  including a hangar, apron, taxiway and supporting infrastructure, for the purpose of servicing Alliance Airlines’ aircraft. The facility has the capacity to service up to three Code C aircraft at one time and brings Alliance Airlines’ aircraft maintenance activities to regional Queensland after being based overseas for several years. The project was delivered in collaboration between Rockhampton Airport – which is owned and operated by Rockhampton Regional Council, Alliance Airlines, GHD and BMD.

Major, Metro and Capital City Airport

AECOM: Melbourne airport pavement – Maintenance program
Financial limits, capacity restraints and aging infrastructure are providing unprecedented challenges to airport owners and operators. One of our key clients, MELBOURNE AIRPORT engaged AECOM to implement a rigorous airfield pavement condition inspection, reporting and asset management program as part of a major renewal’s strategy for critical operational areas. This program is known as MAP MP. The strategy reduced both the backlog of maintenance works and OPEX spend whilst improving the reliability of airside pavements. A significant achievement under the increasing demands of the newer generation of very heavily loaded long-haul commercial aircraft types that dominate Melbourne Airport’s traffic spectrum.

Airbiz: Gold Coast Airport southern terminal expansion
Airbiz partnered with Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) to plan and deliver the most ambitious and innovative redevelopment project in the history of Gold Coast Airport (GCA). The GCA terminal expansion doubles the existing terminal’s size, expanding parts of the facility from one to three levels, servicing both international and domestic passengers. Airbiz was involved from conceptual stage through completion, working with QAL and the design team on forecasting, demand analysis, terminal facility requirements, simulation modelling, passenger and staff flows, facility safeguarding, stakeholder engagement, design layouts, operational overlays for the expanded terminal and design review throughout the delivery phase.

Downer EDI Works: Sydney Airport – Runway 16R/34L central & southern re-sheet & Taxiway A pavement strengthening
From commencement in early 2020 to completion in July 2022 to resheet SYD’s 3.9km 16R/34L runway (AUS’s busiest runway), the project faced a number of challenges; Unpredictable La Nina weather patterns resulting in 50% of shift cancellation due to weather, 3 waves of COVID-19 plus, Resources shortages, MOWP limitations requiring Minister special approvals. As a result of trying to capitalise on traffic during the global pandemic, Sydney Airport also significantly increased its capital works projects but this created staging conflicts around the airfield, which resulted a great focus on staging planning.

EngiSeek and JJ Ryan Consulting: Airspace Lab – The future of airports asset management
Airspace Lab is a web-based application focused on asset management and operational controls for airports. The first module developed by JJ Ryan Consulting and EngiSeek brings 3d visualisation of the Obstacle Limitation Surfaces (OLS) and Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft OPerationS (PANS-OPS). This includes a workflow and traceability system for stakeholders to collaborate and manage the crane application process.

IVM Group: Reducing wildlife risk at Brisbane Airport
The Brazilian Keyhole Wasp is a significant risk to aviation safety at Brisbane Airport. This introduced predatory wasp builds its nests in small cavities (such as aircraft pitot probes) and provisions them with paralysed caterpillars collected from the managed grassland areas. Since 2010 wasp numbers have increased dramatically with more than 26 wasp-related aircraft safety incidents at the airport. The IVM Program is a science-based program, implemented in collaboration with our consulting partner the IVM Group, that introduced an innovative approach to proactively managing wasps and the risk of wasp-related safety incidents at Brisbane Airport.