Canberra Airport is completing a $420 million new terminal and has already commissioned leading-edge trigeneration gas power which uses the waste heat from electricity production to heat and cool its buildings. Managing director Stephen Byron said the terminal was the most energy efficient in Australia, to minimise the impact of rising energy costs, but the additional expense would still be significant.

"For us the impact is substantial, electricity costs will increase 16 to 18 per cent due to the carbon tax and other increases from electricity authorities," he said.

Mr Byron said although power constituted a considerable portion of the airport's expenses there were no plans to pass on the costs to consumers or to increase charges to airlines. "Our energy bill is the largest bill we have after our security bills," he said.

Mr Byron said Canberra-based Brindabella Airlines had already stopped flying between the capital and Albury, citing the carbon tax as a consideration in their decision. It would be a matter of wait and see as to how it affected other airlines.

Mr Byron said the cost of the carbon tax would also be felt in the construction of the new western concourse terminal, which is due to be opened in March next year and will increase the airport's capacity from 3.2 million to 8 million passengers each year.

"There is no question, we believe there will be an increase in building costs, [in] concrete, steel, glass," he said.

Last week, local concrete supplier Brett McPherson told The Canberra Times the carbon tax would add between 1 and 2 per cent to the price of cement.