A 51-hectare stretch of Brisbane Airport opposite the International Terminal is beginning to change, with the city’s first Costco set to bring about 250 full-time jobs, a fuel station and a new place to shop and eat when it opens in late 2029.
The Costco warehouse will be the first Brisbane City location for the members-only retailer, adding to its existing Queensland stores at North Lakes, Bundamba and Coomera.
For the airport precinct, the development will add more than a warehouse. Plans for the 6.7-hectare Costco site include a 34-bowser fuel station, 870 car parking spaces and a food court alongside the 15,600sqm store.
Inside, the Brisbane Airport Costco is planned to carry groceries, fresh food, electronics and apparel, with optical and hearing aid centres and a tyre centre also included.
Once complete, approximately 250 full-time staff are expected to work at the warehouse.
Brisbane Airport Precinct Starts To Take Shape
Costco will occupy only about 12 per cent of the wider 51-hectare parcel being developed directly opposite the International Terminal.
That leaves most of the site for other businesses, with Brisbane Airport indicating the Costco announcement will be followed by others as the mixed-use precinct develops.
Signs of the broader project are already appearing on the site, where perimeter drainage works have started. Road network improvements and upgrades are also planned as part of the development and surrounding future projects.
The scale of the precinct is substantial, covering an area more than three times the size of South Bank Parklands.
About 12 kilometres from Brisbane’s CBD, the site also connects directly with South East Queensland’s road network.
More Than $145 Million Invested In Airport Site
Costco plans to invest more than $145 million in its Brisbane Airport development.
Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff has described the retailer as the first of further businesses expected for the new mixed-use precinct, with Costco taking up a relatively small portion of the available land.
Costco Australia and New Zealand country manager Chris Tingman has also pointed to the planned employment at the site, with about 250 full-time staff expected once the warehouse is complete.
For Brisbane Airport, the first visible work on the wider site is already under way. For Costco, the next milestone is the planned late-2029 opening of its first warehouse within Brisbane City.
Published 28-August-2026
