Airport Guide for Perth International Airport

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  February 09, 2012  

Close to South Guildford, High Wycombe, Redcliffe and Queens Park, Perth Airport (PER) is sited around 12 km / 7.5 miles east of central Perth and conveniently close to the Great Eastern Highway. Currently Australia's number four airport in terms of overall passenger numbers, each year Perth Airport handles over 60,000 flight movements, including 900 regional and domestic flights weekly.

Around eight million passengers arrive and depart here annually, over two million of which are international. With three terminals (International, Qantas Domestic and Multi-User Domestic) and a workforce of some 17,000 people, Perth Airport remains open day and night and contains a dual runway system, both of which are capable of accommodating the Airbus A380.

Around 50 worldwide destinations are connected by some 30 different airlines, such as Air New Zealand, National Jet Systems, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Skippers Aviation, Thai Airways and Tiger Airways Australia. Perth Airport covers 5,200 acres / 2,100 hectares and regularly wins awards, including the Australian Major Airport of the Year Award, presented by the AAA (Australian Airports Association).

To travel to and from Perth Airport, various options are available. These include public car parks next to each of the three terminals, including short-term, long-term and convenient undercover fast-track parking for domestic passengers.

Car rental companies operating at Perth Airport feature services desks in each of the terminals, while for many, the sheer convenience of taxis is hard to beat, with the main taxi destinations including Fremantle, Joondalup, Scarborough and of course the city of Perth itself. Shuttle buses are also popular and this service features various pick-up points, such as Northbridge, the Great Eastern Highway and Mill Point Road, as well as various districts around central, eastern and western Perth.

Perth Airport (PER) Information: History and Facilities
Before the arrival of Perth Airport, the city's main airstrip was situated in the north-easterly suburb of Maylands, next to the Swan River. A number of aircraft also used Langely Park as a convenient airfield, in the heart of Perth's Central Business District. However, it soon became clear that Perth required a substantial aerodrome and in 1942, Guildford Aerodrome was built on the disused Dunreath golf course and this was used as a base for the Royal Australian Air Force.

Renamed Perth Airport in 1952, significant updates over the years include the arrival of a new international terminal and sleek control tower in 1986, at the cost of more than AU$50 million. Now leased by Westralia Airports Corporation (WAC), Perth Airport was further enhanced in 2004, when the new Taxiway Sierra was opened, which was able to accommodate the next generation of double-decker Airbus passenger planes.

Tax-free shopping is provided at Perth Airport and can be found within the International Terminal, where everything from surf wear to diamonds can be purchased. Most shops open at least two hours before all international departures and many of the onsite cafes offer extended opening hours when necessary. Other notable facilities in Perth Airport include an outdoor playground for children next to Terminal 1, parenting rooms for families, and observation areas in each of the three terminals, where approaching and departing aircraft can be viewed.