Push for early train times to get FIFO workers to Perth Airport

October 26, 2026 — 4:11pm

Perth Airport boss Jason Waters is “confident” the state government will tinker with its train timetable to better cater the Airport Line for fly-in, fly-out workers.

FIFO workers considering public transport for their flight days have long complained the Airport Line service does not run early enough to catch the morning peak of FIFO flights, which runs from about 4am to 8am.

The earliest train to the Airport Central station arrives at 5.27am, but for most intrastate flights, check in closes 30 minutes before the flight time – making it nearly impossible to catch a 6am flight using the train.

Asked about a FIFO service at a press conference on Monday, Waters said he was in constant communication with the government in relation to both road and rail.

“I’m certain that as the airport grows and the needs of passengers become more clear and understood, I’m confident that we’ll see the availability of train follow suit,” he said.

In the past, the WA government has been reluctant to extend train operating hours, because it would shorten maintenance windows on the city’s rail network.

At the same press conference on Monday, Premier Roger Cook said Transport Minister Rita Saffioti was always reviewing timetables to make sure they served the community

“That’s why you’ve seen millions of people shifting onto rail, taking part in the expansion of Metronet as paying passengers,” he said.

According to the latest Public Transport Authority annual report, boardings on the Airport line increased 11 per cent from 2024-25 to 2025-26, rising from 5.62 million boardings to 6.23 million.

Airport transformation spurs warning for travellers

Perth Airport will want to see as many people as possible coming to the airport on public transport as it gears up for one of the biggest transformations in the airport’s history.

Construction will begin in the coming months on $5 billion worth of work, including a third runway and new terminal which will bring Qantas’ extensive Perth operations under the same roof as all other carriers at Terminal 1.

At the same time, another carpark and a new hotel will be built near Terminal 1, prompting a warning from Waters that “the journey ahead is going to be tricky.”

“We’re going to be bringing thousands of construction workers onto the terminal site, and that means there are going to be delays and challenges for passengers but we’re going to remain open 24/7 through the entire construction period,” he said.

“Don’t get caught out last minute because from here on in, over the next five or six years, there’s going to be a lot happening at Perth Airport.”

Waters revealed only 4 per cent of passengers to Perth Airport used the train to come or go from the airport, driven in part because there was no train servicing the Qantas terminals.

However, he said once the airport was all under one roof the Airport Line would be a much more attractive option.

“The construction of the one airport model gives us the ability to really go to the people of Perth and Western Australia with a proposition that says use the train because we’re all in one place now,” he said.

Speaking on the 40th anniversary of the opening of Terminal 1, Waters said the airport upgrades were expected to be completed by 2031 and the timing and cost was still on target, but work was still being done on the final time and cost.

Perth Airport will be competing with mining, defence and the state government for materials and labour.

More than $25 billion worth of work is under way at Henderson to prepare for AUKUS, billions are being spent on grid upgrades, and renewable energy projects and tens of thousands of homes are being built.

Waters wasn’t worried about the competition in the state’s already hot construction sector.

“I think it’s actually exciting times for Western Australia. The AUKUS investment, the ongoing investment the state government’s making, as well as Perth Airport, it’s all part of what makes the package of Western Australia great,” he said.

“What is important is that in the background we are having conversations to ensure that we schedule things in a way that enable it all to be achieved in a sensible manner. So I’m not asking that anything be slowed down.”

Cook said the Office of Major Infrastructure Delivery was working with big constructors to work out timings of project to avoid labor and materials constraints.

“There’s timing around concrete, timing around rebar and other steel products to make sure that they can all work in concert with each other,” he said.

Hamish Hastie is WAtoday's state political reporter and the winner of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Prize for best political journalism.Connect via X or email.

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