In August 1984, construction started on a new 80 metre control tower, located near the site of the then-new International Terminal, on the east side of the runways. Construction was completed on the new tower in June 1986, but the old 1962 tower continued operation until 22 April 1987 when the new tower finally started Air Traffic Control operations.
In March 1988, the Bureau of Meteorology moved its surface observations from Ivy Street in Belmont to the 1962 control tower, which had been vacated the year before. However, in October 1997, the Bureau moved from the tower to a new dedicated facility on the Northern Perimeter Road in the north-eastern corner of the airport.
From around 2005, Perth Airport experienced significant growth in airline operations caused by the resources industry boom.
Larger types such as the A330 and Boeing 747 were regularly used on domestic flights, and the old 1962 tower and fire station was beginning to constrain operational expansion, so the airport authorities commenced plans to remove it.
Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting had stayed at the fire station next to the 1962 tower. In 2010, a new Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Station was built on the northern perimeter road, and this was officially opened on 30 August 2010, leaving the old 1962 tower and fire station vacant.
In late 2010, in response to queries from Aviation Association of WA, Perth Airport advised that preparations were underway to ready the 1962 tower and fire station for demolition. We followed up on this again in February 2011, and were advised that the facility was to be demolished within a month.
The demolition of the fire station and other buildings surrounding the tower commenced on Thursday 24th March 2011, and only the tower remained by 28 March.
On 29 March 2011, the tower was demolished, leaving a pile of rubble.
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