Qantas, Perth Airport deny deal rumours

Perth Airport and Qantas have denied that a deal has been done in their long-running and complex dispute surrounding the airline’s move to the eastern side of the airport.
On Tuesday evening, 6PR and Channel 9 reported that a deal had been done although no details were provided.
The five-year-long dispute involves agreement on passenger processing charges, a move to a new terminal complex and agreement on the building of a parallel runway.
Last year the state’s Supreme Court found in Perth Airport’s favour in the passenger processing costs dispute, but Qantas appealed that decision.
However, with CEO Vanessa Hudson taking the helm, it is expected that a deal will be done before year’s end.
Spokespeople for both Perth Airport and Qantas confirmed to Business News that no deal had been done.
The pressure is mounting for agreement with the airport’s passenger numbers surging past 14 million for the FY23 year, just shy of pre COVID levels.
Aircraft movements however are above the FY19 levels reflecting the greater number of FIFO and intrastate passenger flights.
The airport is now at capacity at peak periods during the week and late last year airlines were briefed by the airport that there were no more slots available for their resources customers for fly-in, fly-out charters in their preferred flying times.
Perth Airport has two cross runways which can, depending upon winds, be used concurrently to slightly ease congestion. But this is not a permanent solution.
Without a second parallel runway the airport cannot support the next round of resources development for Western Australia.