Development challenges facing general aviation airports: A case study of Archerfield Airport, Queensland, Australia

In the last 30 years, many major airports around the world have embraced the concept of an 'airport city' through the development of both aviation and non-aviation related businesses and a localised planning policy response in support of these endeavours. In the Australian neo-liberal planning environment, there has been little federal policy direction and muted investment by the aviation community. This paper examines the case of Archerfield Airport in Brisbane, Australia, and identifies issues that may impede its growth and evolution towards an integrated and sustainable economic hub. These issues include zoning, airspace usage patterns, and the friction between social utility, historical preservation and commercial imperatives. Such issues likely represent endemic challenges nationally, requiring more affirmative planning action by stakeholders seeking to replicate international successes.