Newcastle Airport-ACE Terminal Expansion
Transforming Newcastle Airport into a modern, sustainable international gateway
Newcastle Airport Pty Ltd (NAPL)
|
Newcastle, NSW, Australia
|
2020-Ongoing
5-star Green Start Design achieved
Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4+ Transition achieved
New domestic and international routes forecasts to grow to 2.3 million passengers per year (2028)
$12.7B expected regional economic benefit
Challenges
- Newcastle airport required a major expansion to handle growing passenger volumes and enable direct international services, driving the need for a significantly larger terminal footprint and upgraded processing capacity.
- The expansion had to proceed while maintaining uninterrupted airport operations, requiring careful staging, airside safety management, and structural tie‑ins to existing terminal elements without impacting passengers.
- The project aimed to meet ambitious sustainability targets such as achieving Net Zero Carbon status by 2035 which required integrated low‑carbon design strategies.
Solutions
- We delivered all structural and civil engineering for the terminal expansion, designing the new international terminal and modernizing the domestic terminal to accommodate significantly higher passenger volumes and new operational functions.
- Implemented a fully integrated digital project delivery workflow using Revit, enabling real‑time multidisciplinary coordination managed by the Newcastle office and supported by Hatch offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, ensuring consistent design standards and seamless interface management.
- Engineered complex structural solutions including extensions to suspended post‑tensioned floor systems, ensuring load capacity for new terminal functions, while integrating large‑span roofing installed over active passenger areas without interrupting airport operations.
- Incorporated specialized safety engineering by designing blast‑resistant structural elements and Hostile Vehicle Mitigation features to enhance terminal security while integrating them discreetly within the architectural form.
Highlights
- The expanded terminal significantly improves passenger flow, baggage processing, and overall travel experience, strengthening the Hunter region’s global connectivity and aviation competitiveness. The overall terminal footprint expanded by 50%.
- The project is expected to drive long‑term economic growth, creating construction employment and contributing an estimated $12.7 billion in regional economic uplift through increased freight capacity and expanded tourism.
- The international terminal has been awarded a prestigious 5-star Green Star Design rating by the Green Building Council of Australia, recognizing its outstanding environmental performance and commitment to sustainable design.
- The project also achieved Airport Carbon Accreditation at the 4+ Transition level, highlighting its progress on reducing emissions through the use of renewable energy.
“Of course the new terminal will offer convenience for travelers from our catchment who want to fly internationally. But more importantly, it will drive huge, sustainable economic benefits throughout the region through inbound tourism, and freight related industries, including import and export”
Newcastle Airport CEO (2015-2025) Dr. Peter Cock
Project Numbers
- 2.3 million projected annual passengers by 2028
- 2‑storey terminal extension increasing footprint by 50%
- 2 additional baggage carousels supplied via baggage tunnels
- 4400 jobs (construction phase including associated runway upgrades)