If you're flying out of Perth Airport's Terminal 1 — the terminal that handles most of WA's international departures, including Bali and Singapore routes — your drop-off point is about to move. The airport's new six-level P1 transport hub is in final testing now, and once it opens, all Terminal 1 passenger pick-ups and drop-offs shift to P1's ground level, accessed via Airport Drive. The familiar forecourt lane, in use since 1986, will close.
P1 consolidates a lot into one building: pick-up and drop-off bays (70 per cent more than the old forecourt offers), taxis, rideshare, and more than 1,700 parking bays across six levels, covering short-term, premium, motorcycle and car rental spaces. Accessible ACROD parking is on every level, and smart bay-finding technology will point drivers straight to a free spot.
There's one nuance worth knowing if you're on a domestic or regional flight. The express pick-up and drop-off area outside Terminal 2 stays where it is, but taxi and rideshare pick-ups for T2 will relocate to P1's ground level — so ground transport for both terminals effectively funnels through the one hub. If someone is collecting you after a T2 arrival, make sure they know to head to P1 rather than the old kerbside.
No exact opening date has been announced yet. Perth Airport is running trials and final testing over the coming weeks, and that will determine the launch. In the meantime, the airport has set up an online information hub with updated maps, FAQs, journey-planning tools and step-by-step videos — worth ten minutes of your time before travel day.
The advice from the airport itself is simple: check the maps before you go, follow the on-site signage once you arrive, and build in extra time while everyone adjusts to the new layout. The first few weeks will inevitably involve some confused drivers circling for the right entrance.
This isn't happening in isolation. P1 is the first major customer-facing piece of a multi-billion-dollar upgrade program covering terminals, runways and ground transport across the precinct. Earlier this year the airport also refreshed the T1 International retail and dining area, adding 14 new and upgraded outlets ahead of the winter travel peak — so regulars will notice changes beyond the kerb too.
Why it matters: Perth's Terminal 1 is the gateway for a huge share of Western Australia's international and interstate travel, and anyone who's ever done the school-run-style kerbside pickup there will find the routine has changed overnight. A little preparation — a look at the airport's new maps, a heads-up to whoever's driving you — is the difference between a smooth send-off and a stressful scramble for a drop-off point that no longer exists. Allow a few extra minutes on your first trip through, and you'll be fine.
