Sunshine Coast Airport at Maroochydore will get a second runway if ambitious expansion plans go ahead.
The proposal is for a Code E runway 2450 m long and 45 m wide aligned 13/31, which is large enough to take aircraft like Boeing's 777 and 787 and Airbus' A330s.
The current runway is only 1797 m long and 30 m wide, which means it can be used by only smaller single-aisle jets like the B737 and A320.
Expanding the airport with a larger runway will enable Sunshine Coast to be paired with airports serviced by larger aeroplanes, including some international destinations.
"The characteristics of the existing runway significantly constrain the operations of modern jet passenger aircraft," Sunshine Coast Council points out, "in that the runway length limits the destinations aircraft can reach by restricting the amount of fuel they can carry, or, as in the case of Air New Zealand services to Auckland, the number of passengers and freight that can be carried.
"The runway width, at 30 metres, requires airlines to operate non-standard narrow runway procedures including a reduced tolerance to crosswind for the most common (Airbus A320 and Boeing 737) jet passenger aircraft in use in Australia."
According to Sunshine Coast Council, if the expansion goes ahead it will contribute $4.1 billion to the local economy between 2020 and 2040, and generate over 1500 direct jobs by 2040.
Sunshine Coast Airport recorded 64,000 movements in the 2015 calendar year, with 20,000 of those under 7000 kg MTOW and 36,000 by helicopters.