Travelers landing at Brisbane Airport step into two main terminals positioned 2.5 kilometers apart, with the International Terminal handling flights to 29 destinations via carriers like Qantas and Singapore Airlines across 15 gates, while the Domestic Terminal manages over 50 domestic routes for Virgin Australia and Jetstar at 44 gates split between piers D and G.
Passengers shift between terminals on a free shuttle bus departing every 10 minutes for a five-minute ride, or via the Airtrain rail link connecting in under 20 minutes from city stations.
The layout unfolds across three levels in each terminal, ground for baggage and check-in, mezzanine for lounges, and upper departures with wide corridors and digital screens in English and Mandarin guiding to gates in 10 to 15 minutes on foot, all on a site with two parallel runways that handled 25 million passengers in 2024 amid upgrades adding self-service bag drops and CT screening by late 2025.
The airport sits 13 kilometers northeast of Brisbane’s central business district along the Gateway Motorway off Nudgee Road, a 20- to 30-minute drive through light suburban traffic on the M7. Airtrain services run every 15 minutes from Brisbane Station to both terminals for 20 dollars taking 20 minutes, with kids under 14 free alongside adults, while Translink buses like Route 590 link the city cat ferry terminal in 40 minutes for six dollars.
Ridesharess such as Uber and DiDi arrive at departures curbs for 35 to 45 dollars covering 15 kilometers in 25 minutes, taxis queue outside arrivals for a metered 50-dollar fare, and hotel shuttles like Con-X-ion depart from bays near the terminals around the clock. Rental cars from Hertz and Avis operate in a consolidated center shuttled by free buses every five minutes, and parking garages attached to the Domestic Terminal charge 30 dollars daily with 3,000 spots, long-term Airpark lots two kilometers away at 15 dollars that fill during peaks but book via app.
Security advances at four checkpoints in the International Terminal and two in Domestic open from 4 a.m. to last flight, where new CT scanners from Rapiscan allow laptops and liquids in bags cutting waits to under 10 minutes typically, though morning rushes add 15 minutes for manual checks. Connections proceed with 45-minute minimums for domestic legs via the shuttle or Airtrain, leaving space for a gate walk or quick lounge entry, while international arrivals clear biosecurity and customs in 30 to 50 minutes before baggage or onward rail.
On-time departures average 75 percent from August 2025 carrier data, supported by 700 daily movements across the runways, but afternoon thunderstorms or runway maintenance slots often lead to 20-minute holds, and the BNE app notifies for crew rotations or track work disruptions.
Dining spans over 40 outlets in the terminals, from early Starbucks at 4 a.m. in the Domestic atrium to sit-down choices like Graze Grill & Bar for prawn salads or James Squire for local beers running 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. with Queensland pies and wines. Retail lines the concourses with Relay for snacks and papers from dawn, duty-free in International stocked with Penfolds vintages and skincare for outbound trips, and stores like R.M. Williams for apparel or tech kiosks near central plazas.
Facilities include free Wi-Fi renewable every two hours throughout, charging stations at gate clusters, pet relief zones airside with turf in both terminals, and nursing rooms post-security with privacy screens. Lounges such as Qantas International First in the mezzanine and Plaza Premium for 50 dollars offer showers and workspaces, quiet zones near gates keep things calm, and accessible lifts with priority queues cover the site. The terminals operate with info desks staffed from first light, providing steady paths through the upgrades.
