Perth Airport is changing where you pick up and drop off passengers – here’s what you need to know

The pick-up and drop-off area at Perth Airport is set to move before Christmas, with staff urging passengers to get across the significant changes.

The drastic move at Terminal 1, which handles international and domestic Virgin flights, will replace the existing open-air drop off and pick-up area, which will close and eventually become a pedestrian plaza.

Instead, all drivers picking up or dropping off friends and family will use the ground floor of a new multi-storey car park.

Perth Airport chief commercial and aviation officer Kate Holsgrove told reporters the new car park would have 70 per cent more pick-up and drop-off bays, with separate lanes for taxis, rideshare drivers and buses.

She said drivers would have six minutes to get in and out for free, but would be expected to stop for no longer than two minutes to avoid clogging up the area, in line with the other Perth terminals.

“This is absolutely the type of pickup and drop-off experience that most airports would experience around the world,” Holsgrove said.

“The current forecourt has been in operation in some shape or form since the 80s. We have outgrown that. It has been experiencing significant traffic congestion.”

Drivers will enter from Airport Drive and follow signs to the new ground-floor area.

Holsgrove urged people arriving early to pick up friends and family to wait in the long-term car parks, where the first hour is free, until their passenger is ready.

The new building boasts 1700 parking bays across six levels, with lights to help drivers find a free space.

Holsgrove would not reveal how much the project had cost, saying only: “We have made a significant investment in improving the experience for access to and from the airport, and for parking facilities.”

The changes come as Perth Airport prepares for a jump in traffic over the next few years, with its draft master plan predicting the number of vehicles travelling to and from the Terminal 1 and 2 area will rise from 24,000 a day in 2024 to 65,000 a day by 2031.

Holsgrove said the rise was partly due to Qantas planning to move its flights from terminals 3 and 4 to the same side of the airport.

The new car park is the first major project to open as part of Perth Airport’s wider redevelopment, which also includes a new terminal, another multi-storey car park and a hotel.

“This is a big change for users in how they access the airport, which is why we’re starting the education campaign now,” Holsgrove told reporters.

The new hub is expected to open before the Christmas school holidays, but an exact date has not yet been announced.