Aussie airport design 'brutalises eyeballs'

An artist's impression of the proposed redesign of Darwin airport. Source: Supplied

DARWIN International Airport will double its capacity, with a long-awaited expansion due to start next month.

"In simple terms we will be able to handle twice the number of passengers and planes in any particular busy hour than we can today," said the airport's chief executive Ian Kew on Tuesday.

The airport upgrade will include three new aircraft parking bays, nearly 11,000 square metres of extra floor space, a new Virgin Australia club lounge and a larger Qantas lounge.

Work is due to begin next month and be finalised before the end of next year.

"We are investing what will be between $70 million and $75 million in this project," Mr Kew said.

But not everyone is thrilled with the design. News website Crikey has called the design drawings "utterly desolate" and says it "brutalises the eyeballs".

Since 2007 Darwin Airport has seen average growth of 8.5 per cent in passenger traffic each year.

Qantas Airways chief executive Alan Joyce says he's looking forward to the expansion and his company is spending $10 million in connection with the upgrade.

"A lot of airports around the country have been caught with some of the extensive growth that has taken place and there is investment needed," Mr Joyce said.

Much of the growth related to fly-in-fly-out workers and the broader domestic market.

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