Perth Airport and Virgin Australia have announced that operations will begin at the new Terminal 1 Domestic Pier on Sunday, November 22, 2015. The new pier will be home to Virgin Australia and will enable customers to transfer seamlessly between regional, interstate and international services in one location.
According to Perth Airport’s chief executive officer, Brad Geatches, the T1 Domestic Terminal is a world-class facility and the most significant project in Perth Airport’s current A$1bn (US$724m) redevelopment. “The opening of the T1 Domestic Terminal represents a major milestone in achieving our vision of having all commercial air services operating from one convenient location,” he added.
“The new terminal offers customers a totally new experience, with high quality finishes, a range of food, beverage and retail outlets and a premium lounge for Virgin Australia guests.”
Virgin Australia Group chief executive officer John Borghetti commented, “This terminal is the centerpiece of our commitment to Western Australia and will deliver an outstanding travel experience for all of our customers. It will provide access to twice the number of departure gates, with the ability to board up to 12 aircraft at one time, offering a world-class gateway for regional, domestic and international travel.
“Our new check-in service will enable us to tailor the experience to the needs of different customers, combining cutting-edge technology with the personalized customer service for which Virgin Australia is renowned.
“We believe the new Virgin Australia ground experience will raise the bar for airport services around Australia and help to ensure that Virgin Australia is the number one choice for travellers on the all-important trans-continental routes.”
It is estimated that more than 4,200 contractors and suppliers contributed to the very complex, state-of-the-art facility, working an estimated 1.8 million man hours. “The size and scale of this building is impressive. It is actually 1.5 times the length of [Perth suburb] Subiaco’s Domain Stadium and has a perimeter measuring 1.4km [0.8 miles],” Geatches said.
