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Australian State Urges Singapore Airlines to Set up Shop
MELBOURNE, Aug 29 Asia Pulse - Victorian tourism operators have urged Singapore Airlines to locate in Melbourne amid speculation the airline will launch into the Australian domestic market.
The Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) said the Victorian government and Melbourne Airport should do all they could to encourage the airline to locate its domestic base in Melbourne.
VTIC chairman John Button said Melbourne was Australia's only airport without a curfew and was closer than Sydney to key Asian cities.
"Melbourne's distinct advantages as a location for an airline headquarters would provide Singapore Airlines with everything it needs to develop not only a regional hub, but a domestic base from which it could operate a competitive domestic service," he said.
"With the departure of Ansett a year ago, there is still a vacuum for a second major carrier, and all the infrastructure is here in Melbourne."
Mr Button's comments follow reports yesterday that a Singapore Airlines evaluation team had met with Melbourne Airport managing director Chris Barlow.
"They were over the moon about the airport. They thought it was terrific," Mr Barlow told the Herald Sun.
"We'd like to think they would be based here."
But a spokesman for federal Transport Minister John Anderson today said the minister had not been approached by the airline about launching a domestic service.
"We don't know what they are proposing, if in fact they are proposing anything," he said.
But he said Mr Anderson generally welcomed more competition on the domestic market.
Qantas chairwoman Margaret Jackson yesterday said Singapore Airlines would be "brave" to enter the domestic market.
"If they want to lose a lot of money I guess they can come down here," she said.
ASIA PULSE