Perth travellers looking forward to having the best airport in the Asia Pacific region are in for a shock after the owner of Perth Airport admitted that its redevelopment will be built to 'Class C', rated as the minimum standard with acceptable delays.
The latest revelation comes one week after WA Business News revealed that the $1 billion redevelopment was to be significantly scaled back from an airport with 45 aerobridges to just 25.
Perth Airport CEO Brad Geatches told WABN yesterday that "IATA (International Air Transport Association) Level of Service Standard C is likely to be the underlying design criteria."
A Class C airport is rated by IATA as "minimum standard", according to Professor Dr. Richard de Neufville, Professor of Systems Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a good level of service and acceptable delays.
The Class C airport is in stark contrast to Perth Airport's May 1 media release that accompanied the "Vision for the future" plan. The media release claimed that the phased redevelopment would "transform Perth Airport into one of the best airports in the Asia Pacific region."
Most major airports in Asia such as Hong Kong and Singapore are rated as A or B.
With just 25 aerobridge gates many international and domestic passengers at peak times would have to run the gauntlet of Perth's winter weather or endure searing summer temperatures and clamber up or down airstairs to aircraft.
The Perth Airport redevelopment vision was released just four weeks after the Premier Alan Carpenter described Perth's domestic airport as an embarrassment to the state and called for an immediate upgrade.
At the time Mr Geatches claimed that Perth Airport was "on the job" and "there's no lack of commitment" and "no lack of preparedness to invest."
Mr Carpenter told WABN that he expected "the redevelopment of Perth Airport to result in a highly efficient and modern facility that overcomes the current delays and problems."
