Enough concrete to fill more than three and a half Olympic-sized swimming pools is being poured at Gold Coast Airport to provide additional aircraft parking space ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The airport’s apron expansion, part of its Project LIFT redevelopment, is creating approximately 20,000 sq m of additional apron area – or nearly two and a half football fields.

The apron expansion will facilitate parking for an additional four Code C or two Code E aircraft and is due for completion in March 2018. It comes as Gold Coast Airport’s passenger numbers continue to grow, with 528,000 people moving through the facility in August, up one per cent on the prior year.

Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer Marion Charlton said the staged expansion of the airport would go well beyond the Games.

“The expansion of the apron is a critical part of Project LIFT and its delivery ahead of the Games means we can facilitate additional aircraft parking if required,” she said.

“It provides a foundation for us to move ahead with the building component of Project LIFT, which will commence next year.

“The number of passengers flying through Gold Coast Airport is steadily trending upwards, and we are pushing ahead with our expansion program to meet this demand.”

A workforce of between 60 and 70 people are onsite daily during concrete placement, which will continue over the next eight weeks.

Project LIFT will see the construction of a new international terminal, additional aircraft parking stands and a consolidated ground transport facility, and is being delivered over the next few years.

Gold Coast Airport is owned and operated by Queensland Airports Limited, a regional airport specialist which also operates Townsville, Mount Isa and Longreach airports.