QantasLink Moving From T2 to T3

[Brad Myer]

Hi,

Heard that QFLink are moving from T2 to the main QF terminal T3 in SYD...

Anyone heard more?

Cheers

[Philip Argy]

Not sure how T3 would handle the Dash 8s so I'll be interested to see the solution to that.

[Max C]

Yep, it's happening. Boarding through Gate 1 and the stand off bays are out near the hangars.

Apparently to free up space in T2 and bring all the QF flights under one terminal.

Currently most of the flights in T2 are bussed to the bays anyway, so the change for the pax will be mimimal. If anything, it'll be an improvement for connecting flights.

[Rob Fluke]

Do we know when this is happening?

Cheers

[Brad Myer]

So this will leave JQ more space at T2?

Does QF still own the current QFLink/JQ pier of T2?

Cheers

[Kent Broadhead]

Not sure how T3 would handle the Dash 8s so I'll be interested to see the solution to that.

Buses I assume, just like the olden days?

[Ryan K]

Any idea what this might mean for the T2 Qantas Club?

[Ash W]

Wonder if the Canberra Dash flights will remain at gate 17 or move to 1?

[MarkR]

Do we know when this is happening?

Cheers

Memo to staff:


The international transfer desk and lounge, currently opposite Gate 1 at Sydney Domestic Terminal (T3) will relocate to Gate 15 from Monday March 04th 2013

The relocation of the desk is to accommodate the move from T2 to T3 of all Qantaslink services in late April.

[Ash W]

So if they are moving international transfer to gate 15 that would suggest to me that transfer passengers will now wait in the main terminal and have their boarding pass checked on boarding (bit like coming the other way). Where at present they check you then you go down to the waiting room. Hopefully won't cause too many delays with those passengers who do not have their international boarding pass.

It also suggests that Qlink boarding will not actually be through gate 1 as we know it but through the current transfer lounge. I gather with the closure of the current gate 1 that the current international transfer lounge will become known as gate 1.

[Todd Hendry]

You can board A319's from an aerobridge.

[Kent Broadhead]

Where was anything said about A319s?

[Todd Hendry]

Rumour. Bad one. But a rumour.

[Kent Broadhead]

Maybe if Airbus was giving them away - no other logical reason.

[chrisb]

What happens with Arrivals? Do they 'trust' regional security or will people be dumped landside?

[Ash W]

The rumour of A319's was strong until the top up second hand 717's were annouced. Anyway I would imagine they would have been seen in the west rather than in Sydney. So Dash8/Q400's to stay... Unfortunately...

Chris, depends upon the port. When Qantaslink previously operated from T3 Canberra flights bypassed security but most if not all the other ports the passengers were screened on arrival. At gate 15 which was where they arrived/departed they had an x-ray machine and metal detector at the bottom of the stairs. It wouldn't surprise me to see the same set-up again. The bizzare and annoying thing for passengers who had Sydney as their destination is there was no direct access to landside so you had to get security cleared to then walk to the arrivals gate and out again.

[Hugh Jarse]

Ash, you have to face it that Eastern will not get jets. Cobham, and now Network are the Qantaslink jet operators.

The jet rumour ran for the entire 14+ years I worked at Eastern.

For the whole time I worked at Eastern that security screening was in place, the PAX were either screened in Canberra or Sydney (on arrival). They could not bypass it when going into a sterile area such as T3, whether leaving the terminal or connecting with another flight.

That's the way it is.

[JamesL]

Correct, to add with the government making all trunk regional RPT ports having a security screening point, this practice will be phased out.

[Ash W]

Hugh, I realise Eastern/Sunstate will not get jets, doesn't mean I have to like the Dash8's though. As a regular from Canberra connecting to international the lack of full size cabin baggage in particular is what kills it for me. Sorry if that offends.

Also if you actually read my post you would see that I was talking about Qantaslink in GENERAL and even mentioned if they got A319's they would go west. As it stands Qantaslink got additional 717s which are jets.

In relation to screening in Sydney, again read what I wrote, if I am not mistaken I wrote exactly what you did, just in different wordings. My point about bypassing was for passengers who had Sydney as their final destination. It was a PIA to fly to Sydney only to be screened to enter the sterile area to then walk 50m to the exit and out again, so a bypass would have been good.

[Chris B.]

James, not all regional ports will have security screening. It only affects those ports where the max take off weight of the aircraft exceeds 17 tonnes. So basically anything that a Q400 or bigger that flies into a regional port now requires security screening. ;)

[Hugh Jarse]

Dash-300 has a MTOW of 19+ Tonne, Chris. I thought it was to do with a jet service, i.e. Albury and Port.

Ash, I apologise. Nine out of five pilots are lysdexic. :eek:

The problem with screening inbound passengers is bussing from the gates to a common entry point (usually Gate 47, I think), which is also used by non-screened ports, such as Dubbo/Moree etc. Unless there is a change to procedures where already screened passengers are segregated/handled differently from those at non-screened ports, the practice will have to continue, unfortunately.

[Rob R]

And we call ourselves 'pilots' because we have trouble spelling aviator.

[Chris B.]

Oh whoops my mistake Hugh. It's not necessarily the jet that is the issue. It's the Q400 and ATR. For example Wagga Wagga has had to implement security screening now even though there's no jet service. However it is only in operation when the Q400 is operating.

Here is the link. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/security/aviation/pdf/New_Entrant_Regional_Airports_Guidelines%20_amende dJuly2012.pdf. It's 20,000kg and above. :p

[Rowan McKeever]

Hugh it used to be based around jet vs prop. It changed last year to weight based and is actually 20t not 17t. So some F50 may be caught but as I understand it the highest TOW for a DH8C is 19.9t so narrow escape there!

[Paul S.]

It can getting very confusing here in BNK as the 630am Rex flight is not screened but the j* at 9 is, unless of course the ZL flight is late either due to CTMS or crew rest which will then depend what security want to do and what time it departs. And dont worry guys the passengers get confused too, they cant understand that all the flights are going to Sydney but if you get up early you wont have the hassel of going thru any security checks, just check in and away you go. Depending on what time you leave will depend on wether you and your baggage get screened or not.

[David F]

That's an interesting one. What's to stop someone going into the "sterile" area for the Rex flight and leaving a knife/gun/boxcutter/whatever there for someone on the JQ flight to pick up later?

I honestly thought the rule was that if an airport had security screening equipment then it had to be used for every flight.

[Paul S.]

The departure lounge is locked and searched up to twice a day, this includes turning all the chairs up side down, checking under any mats,cleaning out any rubbish bins etc, checking also with metal detectors. They have it down pat now.

[David F]

So um... wouldn't it be a better use of resources to just scan the passengers for the turboprop flights?

[D Chan]

not apparently, if you ask Rex:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-01/rex-to-leave-dubbo-over-screening-disagreement/4546640

[Rowan McKeever]

G'day all... so, has this change actually happened? QF haven't announced anything and their website still says international transfer from T3 is opposite Gate 1?

Cheers
Rowan

[Kim F]

I transferred on Monday in front of Gate 1

[Joseph D]

The new parking bays for QantasLink are almost ready. This will all be happening within two weeks. Flights booked after the 29th of July are showing T3 as the departure terminal.

[Nigel C]

Subject to meeting the required compliances...

[Jakef]

Just looked at my flight itinerary I got when I booked a flight for September on June 8th and it says arriving at Terminal 3.

[Nigel C]

Just an update, live aircraft trials start for the new apron start tomorrow with the apron going fully active on the 15th August. In all there are 7 new Dash-8 parking bays on the new Dom-1A apron, to be known as Bays 64-70.

[Rowan McKeever]

Thanks for the update Nigel! Is there a diagram/chart around showing the location and layout of the new bays? The DAP published by Airservices doesn't (and won't) show it because T3 and Domestic 1/1A are exclusively leased to, and operated by, Qantas.

[Jarden S]

Rowan there is a diagram of the new gates on the Australian Aviation forum on Airliners.net
They all run north of the first gate along the side of the hanger.

[Nigel C]

Here's a rough guide on how it looks. Gate numbers run from 64 in the north to 70 at the southern end. Obviously NOT to scale!

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x82/Kiska2/Q-linkapron_zps8cfef221.jpg

[A McLaughlin]

So are these remote gates requiring bus transfers Nigel, or is there internal access? It's obviously a while since I've been at T3...

[Nigel C]

Bus transfers will be the go Andrew.

[Chris W]

This will relieve many a Saturday afternoon headache for the SACL TOC I imagine.

[Ash W]

Just an update, live aircraft trials start for the new apron start tomorrow with the apron going fully active on the 15th August. In all there are 7 new Dash-8 parking bays on the new Dom-1A apron, to be known as Bays 64-70.

Was in T3 a few hours back and the departure boards were showing Qantaslink flights departing from gates 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D. I gather this is related to the live trail you mention, if so I would imagine passengers were coming from both T2 and T3.

[Nigel C]

My level of expertise in the terminal is limited to finding the food courts and TOC offices. Outside of that I really couldn't help you! :o

[Kent Broadhead]

Has anyone noticed what buses they're using for the terminal to stand transfer?

[Nigel C]

I think Carbridge may have the Q-Link contract?

[Rowan McKeever]

Are they still going to use gates 16 & 17 as well? Or will those be returned to B737 use? Perhaps B717 when they arrive? Assume parking bays 19 & 20 which nest in between T3 & T2 (between T3 gate 17 and T2 gate 49) will continue to be used for the Dash 8s with bussing ops.

[Nigel C]

Lots of options open to them I guess. Time will tell!

[Kent Broadhead]

Thanks Nigel. I noticed the carbridge duo demonstrator over near the mound the other day, and it set me wondering.