Wirraway
8th Nov 2004, 02:18
Mon "Port Macqarie News"
Upgrade airport or fall behind
Monday, 8 November 2004
A HASTINGS councillor has backed calls for Port Macquarie airport to be upgraded in a bid to tap into the budget airline market.
Cr Jamie Harrison says Port Macquarie has fallen behind in attracting tourists to the town by air.
"Qantas has a great service for business people who can afford the price but when it comes to the holiday market, we are missing out badly," Cr Harrison said.
Lewis Land Group director Robert Yandell recently spoke out on what he believes to be an urgent need to upgrade the airport to handle jets and open the market to budget airlines.
He said that until budget airfares were available to Port Macquarie the area would lose tourist dollars, with holidaymakers choosing destinations serviced by Virgin Blue and Jetstar.
A study by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research found that in the past three years regional communities serviced by Qantas or Virgin Blue where they were competing with another regional airline had increased their annual population growth rates by 42 per cent, over the growth rate from 1996 to 2001.
Cr Harrison said he would continue to raise the airport issue.
"It needs to be brought on the agenda sooner rather than later," he said.
The airport master plan identifies the runway could be extended and other improvements valued at $11 to $12 million have been identified over the next 10 years.
The future of regional air services was in the spotlight during a Regional Air Summit in Canberra on Thursday. The summit called on the federal government to establish an aviation ombudsman and introduce tougher controls on airports.
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Upgrade airport or fall behind
Monday, 8 November 2004
A HASTINGS councillor has backed calls for Port Macquarie airport to be upgraded in a bid to tap into the budget airline market.
Cr Jamie Harrison says Port Macquarie has fallen behind in attracting tourists to the town by air.
"Qantas has a great service for business people who can afford the price but when it comes to the holiday market, we are missing out badly," Cr Harrison said.
Lewis Land Group director Robert Yandell recently spoke out on what he believes to be an urgent need to upgrade the airport to handle jets and open the market to budget airlines.
He said that until budget airfares were available to Port Macquarie the area would lose tourist dollars, with holidaymakers choosing destinations serviced by Virgin Blue and Jetstar.
A study by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research found that in the past three years regional communities serviced by Qantas or Virgin Blue where they were competing with another regional airline had increased their annual population growth rates by 42 per cent, over the growth rate from 1996 to 2001.
Cr Harrison said he would continue to raise the airport issue.
"It needs to be brought on the agenda sooner rather than later," he said.
The airport master plan identifies the runway could be extended and other improvements valued at $11 to $12 million have been identified over the next 10 years.
The future of regional air services was in the spotlight during a Regional Air Summit in Canberra on Thursday. The summit called on the federal government to establish an aviation ombudsman and introduce tougher controls on airports.
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