Perth Airport Releases Preliminary 20 Year Master Plan

By Andrew Curran.

Perth Airport (PER) released a Preliminary 20 Year Master Plan on September 30, 2025. It outlines a multi-billion-dollar investment and infrastructure upgrades over the period.

Perth Airport’s Preliminary Master Plan 2026 forecasts that between 2025 and 2045:

• Annual passenger numbers will grow from 17.48 million to 30.8 million;
• Annual aircraft movements will increase from 160,800 to 222,800 movements; and
• Domestic and international air freight could grow from 138,000 tonnes to between 164,000 and 269,000 tonnes.

“We are now delivering a once in a generation construction program that will completely change the face of Perth Airport and take Western Australia into the future,” said Perth Airport CEO Jason Waters.

“This will unlock the full potential of the resources sector and its pipeline of new projects worth more than AUD100 billion (USD66.1 billion),” he added. “It will create a vast array of new tourism, business and trade opportunities for Western Australia and deliver new property development opportunities on the airport estate.”

Perth Airport is Australia’s fourth-largest domestic and international airport. In August, it handled 1,480,789 passengers, including 458,837 international and 1,021,642 domestic passengers. In the same month, there were 13,456 aircraft movements.

Commercial passenger airlines flying into Perth include Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Regional Express (Rex), Aerlink, Alliance Airlines, Airnorth, Nexus, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Malaysia, Air Mauritius, Air New Zealand, ANA, Batik Air, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Scoot, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, Thai, Vietjet, and Vietnam Airlines. Those airlines connects Perth to 35 Australian airports and 21 international airports.

According to its website, Perth Airport contributed AUD6.6 billion (USD4.36 billion) to gross state product in the 2024 financial year and supported the employment of over 27,000 people in the Perth metropolitan region.

“Perth Airport is already a major generator of jobs and economic growth in Western Australia,” said Waters.

·        Specific infrastructure upgrades, most of which have been previously announced, include;

• Two multi-storey car parks and improvements to the road network;
• An expansion of Terminal 2;
• A 237-room Accor-operated hotel;
• A new 3,000 metre runway located parallel to the existing main runway; and
• An expansion of Terminal 1 International and new domestic terminal facilities for Qantas Group operations.

Aside from planning the infrastructure to accommodate growth, the master plan adopts a long-term and strategic approach to development. Perth Airport covers 2,105 hectares, and land use needs to be optimised. The airport says it is adopting an efficient and economical approach to future land use that balances aviation operations with commercial and retail development.

At the same time, the airport says that growth to be responsible and sustainable.

“Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and the master plan confirms our commitment to net zero by 2032, aligning with the delivery of the major capital projects portfolio,” said Waters.

The airport says it has a “clear approach to protecting our flora and fauna”, as well as managing potential issues like wildlife hazards for aircraft.

“We are focused on designing and constructing infrastructure in a way that protects our natural environment and cultural heritage values,” the website adds.

The Preliminary Draft Master Plan 2026 is available for public comment for 60 business days and public submissions are welcome.

You can read the details of the master plan here.

Photo: Getty Images.