New photogalleries: check out Canberra Airport's new terminal and Qantas lounges

Update

Australian Business Traveller flew down to Canberra for Sunday's opening of Canberra Airport's new terminal. We were very impressed, and we believe anyone who uses the new terminal will be equally knocked out by the light, airy and spacious design.

We'll have some articles on the new airport up in the coming days, but for now you can check out out photogallery of the swish new terminal – click here to take a peek!

We've also got two detailed photo-galleries of the all-new Canberra Qantas Club and Canberra Qantas Business Lounge.

The first stage of Canberra Airport’s $350 million upgrade will make its debut tomorrow, including new Qantas lounges.

Officially dubbed The Southern Concourse Terminal Extension, the spacious 26,000 sqm terminal will host Qantas domestic flights as well as all-new Qantas Club, Qantas Business lounge and Chairman’s Lounge facilities.

The Qantas Club and Chairman’s Lounge are both said to be the second-largest of their types in Australia, perhaps reflecting the number of proles and pollies shuttling in and out of Australia’s 8th busiest airport.

Another quirky Canberra-centric trait, according to a report in The Canberra Times, is that the terminal’s NewsLink bookstore will have “double the amount of politically themed books (compared to) other stores in the airport retail chain”.

While Virgin Blue and Tiger flights will still push back from their existing gates, check-in and baggage collection will shift to the new terminal.

The extension also includes three new aerobridges; a split-level U-shaped road system with the upper level for departures and lower level for arrivals; and the first of two multi-storey car parks with 1,000 spaces, plus an open-air car park with 450 spaces

The second stage of the expansion plan will see the newly-vacated Qantas section of the old terminal demolished to make way for the Western Concourse Terminal, which is due to open in 2012.

Australian Business Traveller will be jetting down to Canberra for Sunday's opening – follow us on Twitter (@ausbt, and watch for the #cbr hashtag) to catch updates and first photos.