Passengers flying into Sunshine Coast Airport now have almost three times the space to collect their luggage, as part of a $170 million terminal redevelopment.
The airport’s new arrivals precinct and baggage claim officially opened on October 7, featuring a 92m baggage carousel almost double the length of the original, along with new bathrooms, seating and a water-cooling system for the terminal.
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills said the larger facility would improve the experience for about 20,000 passengers arriving each week.
“Passengers arriving on the Sunshine Coast will now collect their bags in a modern, purpose-built space almost three times the size of our former arrivals and baggage claim area,” he said.
“The longer carousel provides more room for passengers to comfortably collect their luggage, while allowing more bags to be delivered at any one time, creating a smoother and more efficient arrival experience.”
Construction company McNab began work on the arrivals precinct and baggage hall in December, while the airport remained operational.
McNab CEO Kunjan Ganatra said the project required careful coordination to minimise disruption to passengers, airlines and daily operations.
“Working within an operating airport brings an added level of complexity, with construction needing to progress safely and efficiently while minimising disruption to passengers, airlines and day-to-day operations,” he said.
“More than 2300 people have already contributed to the delivery of this project with most trades and subcontractors coming from the Sunshine Coast region, so this really has been a case of locals building a better airport experience for their own community.”
The new arrivals area follows the opening of the airport’s outbound baggage facility in February this year.
The wider terminal redevelopment will almost double the building’s footprint from 6100sqm to 11,750sqm, while tripling the domestic departure lounge from 1250sqm to 3750sqm.
It will also increase departure gates from five to seven and introduce 18 self-service check-in kiosks and 10 automatic bag drops.
Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli said the airport played an important role in connecting the region with visitors, residents and businesses.
“The transformation of Sunshine Coast Airport is helping to create a facility that reflects the growth and ambition of our region,” she said.
“We know that a modern, well-connected airport is vital to supporting our local economy, attracting visitors and creating opportunities for businesses and the wider community.”
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Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson said continued investment was important given the airport’s role in the Sunshine Coast’s transport network.
“This investment most importantly will ensure the airport can continue to meet the needs of our growing region, while providing a welcoming and efficient arrival experience for visitors and returning residents,” she said.
The airport welcomed about 1.8m passengers in the 2025-26 financial year, with numbers projected to reach 2.4m by 2030.
The full terminal expansion is expected to be completed next year.
