Two rare hangars at Brisbane Airport for sale ahead of 2032 Olympics
A rare pair of runway-connected aircraft hangars at Brisbane Airport has hit the market, offering investors and aviation operators a tightly held slice of aviation real estate just six years out from the 2032 Olympic Games in one of Australia’s fastest growing cities.
The properties at 65-73 and 81 Pandanus Avenue – two of just 10 hangars with direct runway access – are being offered via expressions of interest by Colliers agents James Wilkie, Angus Yule and Louis Jorgensen on behalf of Alliance Airlines. The offering is tipped to attract strong interest given the extreme scarcity of runway access.
Brisbane-based Alliance Airlines is a major charter carrier servicing Australia’s FIFO resources sector and operating contract flights for airlines including Qantas and Virgin Australia.
In a bid to streamline operations, the ASX-listed company is parting with surplus assets while growing its Embraer E190 fleet. It recently sold 12 aircraft engines to US-based Beautech Power Systems for $62.3 million, and the sale of the hangars will fund the purchase of other hangar space at the airport.
The two standalone hangars provide a combined 7260 square metres of gross lettable area on more than 24,000 square metres of land, with about 160 metres of airside frontage and direct taxiway access to runway one.
The hangars sit inside the airport’s secure airside zone, allowing aircraft to taxi directly from the building onto the runway rather than being moved through other airport areas.
Hangar 1, at 81 Pandanus Avenue, sits on a 9975-square-metre site and comprises a 3374-square-metre steel portal-frame aircraft hangar and a 1636-square-metre clear-span hangar capable of accommodating aircraft up to Fokker 100 scale, alongside workshops, parts storage, and about 1280 square metres of corporate office space for more than 100 staff. The site also includes 81 on-site car parks.
Hangar 4, at 65-73 Pandanus Avenue, occupies a 14,250-square-metre site and features a 3886-square-metre steel portal-frame aircraft hangar and a 1611-square-metre clearspan hangar with direct access to the main southern domestic runway, supported by corporate office, workshop and storage areas.
Colliers industrial associate director James Wilkie says it is “incredibly uncommon” for existing hangar infrastructure with immediate runway access to be listed at Brisbane Airport.
“Only 10 hangars at Brisbane Airport have direct runway access, making the offering exceptionally scarce in what is already one of Australia’s most tightly held aviation precincts,” he says.
“There are no comparable opportunities currently available within the precinct, and with aviation demand continuing to grow, we expect significant interest from operators looking to secure long-term positioning in Brisbane as the Olympics approach.”
One real estate insider describes the opportunity as unique.
“It might just be the coolest listing I have come across … it will be interesting to see who buys it,” she says.
The campaign comes amid a surge of infrastructure investment across South East Queensland ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Colliers industrial manager Angus Yule says the region is experiencing sustained growth.
“With more than $116 billion of capital works in the pipeline across the region, including major projects such as Cross River Rail and Inland Rail, Brisbane is experiencing sustained population and economic growth,” Yule says.
“As Australia’s fastest-growing capital city, we’re seeing continued increases in passenger volumes, aircraft movements and aviation-related demand. The Olympics will only accelerate that trend and place further pressure on already constrained airside infrastructure.”
The properties sit within the Australia TradeCoast precinct, one of the country’s most significant logistics and aviation hubs, and are set to attract high-flying high-net worth individuals, as well as aviation and maintenance companies.
Colliers industrial executive Louis Jorgensen says the strategic location is a key drawcard.
“Brisbane Airport is Australia’s third-busiest airport and Queensland’s primary aviation gateway, servicing domestic, international, freight and defence operations,” Jorgensen says.
“These assets sit just 12 kilometres from the CBD with direct access to the Gateway Motorway and close proximity to major operators including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Alliance Airlines and Airbus, reinforcing the precinct’s status as a premier aviation hub.”
The assets are being offered for sale via expressions of interest, closing at 4pm on March 27.
