Spaces that never sleep: Building in Australia’s busiest airports.

Airports never truly stop, and neither does their evolution. 

As passenger numbers grow and expectations evolve, airport operators are investing in their terminals to increase capacity, improve passenger experiences and unlock new commercial opportunities. But delivering these upgrades is no small feat, with construction teams navigating complex operational environments where disruption simply isn’t an option. 

Unita has extensive experience delivering airport fitouts across Australia’s capital cities and regional centres, developing a deep understanding of the operational complexities, commercial pressures and technical requirements unique to these environments. Here, Unita’s CEO Matt Lane shares five insights from our recent projects, where keeping things moving is just as important as the finished result. 

Building around the passenger 

Across the domestic terminals at Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, Unita has delivered hospitality and retail fitouts including Stitch Coffee, Rara Ramen and Tumi. Working within live terminals, our teams carefully managed construction activities to minimise disruption to passengers, neighbouring tenancies and ongoing airport operations. 

“Passenger experience is a priority on every airport project we deliver,” Matt said. “From managing dust and noise to maintaining safe pedestrian routes, our teams carefully coordinate construction activities to minimise disruption. Even something as straightforward as a material delivery requires careful planning around security requirements and passenger movements.” 

Offsetting carbon emissions 

Sustainability was a key priority during Brisbane Airport Corporation’s Domestic Terminal upgrade. Working with Pangolin Associates, Unita measured the project’s carbon footprint at 195 tonnes of CO₂-e, reduced to 181.3 tonnes after supplier offsets. The remaining emissions were then offset through certified reforestation projects with Tasman Environmental Markets. 

“We take a practical, measurable approach to sustainability,” Matt said. “Working with Pangolin, we accounted for emissions across everything from materials and transport to staff travel and site activities. This provided BAC with independently assessed data to support their sustainability reporting, alongside a clear pathway to offset the project’s carbon footprint.” 

Considering what lies beneath 

During a current restaurant fitout at Brisbane International Airport, Unita’s team encountered a technical challenge involving a commercial kitchen coolroom positioned directly above operational baggage conveyors. With water leakage posing a potential risk to the infrastructure below, the team implemented a dual layer waterproofing system as well as a complete flood test of the waterproofed area before the coolroom was installed. 

“Airport fitouts demand an understanding of the wider implications outside the scope of each individual fitout,” Matt said. “In this case, we identified the importance of verifying the waterproofing before progressing with the coolroom installation. This was a critical step in protecting the baggage infrastructure below and mitigating the risk of disruption to airport operations.” 

Finding smarter ways to build 

At Sydney Airport, Unita delivered the Great Northern Brewing and Allpress Espresso venue within a restricted airside environment. With evolving budget pressures, the team facilitated value engineering workshops to refine buildability while maintaining design intent. Locally sourced joinery solutions also helped streamline procurement and delivery. 

“We approach value engineering as an opportunity to strengthen the overall project outcome, not simply reduce costs,” Matt said. “On this project, we worked closely with the client and design team to review buildability, manage budget pressures and explore alternative procurement solutions. It’s a collaborative process that allows us to protect design intent while improving cost and programme certainty.” 

Keeping the programme moving 

During Brisbane Airport Corporation’s Domestic Terminal upgrade, Unita refurbished three Virgin Australia gate lounges, relocated the Virgin service desk, de-fitted nine retail and food tenancies, and upgraded the food court. With eight work zones operating concurrently, the team completed more than 10,000 hours of work over approximately eight months to meet a critical Christmas deadline. 

“Managing eight concurrent work zones within a live terminal requires precise coordination across project teams, subcontractors and airport stakeholders,” Matt said. “Our approach centres on proactive resource planning, flexible construction sequencing and clear communication with BAC. Having experienced teams on the ground with the authority to make decisions quickly was critical to maintaining momentum across the programme.” 

Looking for the right partner for your next airport project? Contact us to discuss your requirements and how Unita can support a successful delivery.