YBCG during the 2018 Commonwealth Games

[ClemCookie]

So..I just got thinking. With Gold Coast recently winning the bid for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, air travel comes in as a big factor. YBCG Coolangatta/Gold Coast Airport only has two runways, with the following lengths and surfaces-

14/32 2,342m 7,683ft Asphalt

17/35 582m 1,909ft Asphalt

(Courtesy Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia....d_Coast_Airport)

Obviously, only runway 14/32 will be in use for those long international flights. But even that, it is just enough to take the heavies. However, it cannot support the massive A380. It can easily take in A340s though, even with wet weather.

Well, what about Terminals?

Quote from Wikipedia:

'...incorporating domestic and international operations with self service kiosks and 40 common user check-in desks..'

I'm sure 40 won't be enough for the Games! The airport has just undergone a project ending in 2010 that is SUPPOSED to accommodate forecast growth for the next 10 years. They will certainly need to expand! But how? The apron is also quite small, being shown below.

Also thinking, they could direct all flights to YBBN Brisbane and they could do flights to YBCG. Quite a bit of traffic and the flight takes probably around 30 minutes!

So...what do you think is going to happen? Post below!

Have a good day,

Clem :D

[qantas747]

I will be 21 then, I could almost be flying 737s then But I think the majority will have to go through Brisbane, but some direct International flights will be increased. They could expand the apron area, where aircraft can go and let passengers off, then they will go on a bus to the terminal.

Ollie

[Dean (PC Aviator)]

Most traffic will go direc to BNE I suspect and its only a 45 min drive to gold coast by bus.

[Matthew Kane]

The main stadium and majority of the events for the 2018 Commonwealth Games is located around Brisbane Airport. Cairns is hosting the Basketball Events so expanding Cairns Airport for the Basketball wouldn't be necessary.

I think Brisbane Airport will be able to handle the Commonwealth Games. Australia has proven itself to the world by hosting the Summer Olympics in Sydney, hosting the Commonwealth Games will be a walk in the park by comparison.

Cheers

[macca22au]

The apron does continue to the north and the terminal could expand in that direction. However we need to realise that Southeast Queensland, which is dominated by Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast is rapidly growing into one continuous metropolitan airport. The road journey outside of peak times, is as Dean said about 45minutes but there is an excellent rail service direct from the airport (stations at both international and domestic terminals) to a series of Gold Coast stations (including ready access to the theme parks). I once commuted to Brisbane by train to work, and now I use it to go to events and meetings, enjoying an excellent Seniors discount. The train is clean and fast, but if you prefer road, then there are numerous door to door transit coaches.

Also a tram line is now going in connecting some of the internal areas of the Gold Coast but at the moment is strangely not connecting to one of the rail stations. However it will connect a brand new university teaching hospital, to the old centre of Southport and along the main tourist strip of Surfers to Broadbeach.

From the flying point of view during the games, maybe the A330 series might use Cooolangatta, YBCG, but it is mainly 737 and A320/1 aircraft, many of which are ETOPS into NZ. The B777, the A380 and the 747 would still use Brisbane - but if I am still alive I suspect the B787 and maybe an A350 or two will add some colour. At least one of the runways should however be upgraded to an ILS not withstanding the standard use of RNP.

[macca22au]

Whoops, sorry, South East Queensland is growing into one continuous metropolitan area: my poor proof-reading. But within this area there is YBBN the major primary airport, Coolangatta and the Sunshine Coast (to the north) that take medium jet traffic as does Hervey Bay not much further north, and Ballina to the south of the border in NSW. Additionally the long serving secondary airport of Archerfield is close to the Brisbane CBD. Without question modern satellite and GPS navigation is making the need for fixed ground based installations less important, therefore giving this region a great flexibility of access. Cheers for the Cloud - aviation now depends on those pulses from space!

And there is also RAAF Amberley for the VIPs and heavies.

[mra]

Hopefully macca22au, they will have extended Runway 32 and upgraded the facilities generally by 2018. I know that I,for one, would not want to be catching a coach from Bne to the coast in peak hour after a long international flight.