Wirraway
18th Jan 2005, 14:29
Wed "Courier Mail"
Holding pattern over northern city
Michael Madigan
January 19, 2005
TOWNSVILLE has been snubbed for a second time by Jetstar as the budget airline baulks at airport charges in the north's largest city.
Townsville leaders are growing increasingly frustrated at being left on the tarmac while Jetstar services almost every other coastal Queensland city.
In November, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon assured Townsville leaders, already anxious at being left off the itinerary, that Jetstar would be on line by Easter.
Yesterday the airline said it couldn't keep to the arrangement because of airport charges.
"Townsville is the largest city in north Queensland with a strong economy, yet remains the only remaining Queensland coastal community not to be serviced by Jetstar," Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier in north Queensland Lindy Nelson-Carr said.
"There's a huge market here and Jetstar would only complement the Virgin and Qantas services.
"We're just extremely disappointed."
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said Jetstar and Townsville Airport had failed to reach agreement on airport charges.
"The cost is, I guess, making us defer our decision," he said.
Mr Westaway said several other coastal airports had a different approach to airport costs than Townsville.
Proserpine, for example, had a "field of dreams" approach, deciding that if they built an airport people would use it.
"They take the view that increased passenger throughput will increase their revenue and take that into account when deciding the airport costs," he said.
Mr Westaway said Townsville had a significant commerce and leisure market and would almost certainly become a Jetstar destination in the medium term.
Jetstar flies to eight airports in Queensland including the northern airports of Cairns, Rockhampton, Mackay, Hamilton Island and Proserpine.
The Courier-Mail
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Holding pattern over northern city
Michael Madigan
January 19, 2005
TOWNSVILLE has been snubbed for a second time by Jetstar as the budget airline baulks at airport charges in the north's largest city.
Townsville leaders are growing increasingly frustrated at being left on the tarmac while Jetstar services almost every other coastal Queensland city.
In November, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon assured Townsville leaders, already anxious at being left off the itinerary, that Jetstar would be on line by Easter.
Yesterday the airline said it couldn't keep to the arrangement because of airport charges.
"Townsville is the largest city in north Queensland with a strong economy, yet remains the only remaining Queensland coastal community not to be serviced by Jetstar," Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier in north Queensland Lindy Nelson-Carr said.
"There's a huge market here and Jetstar would only complement the Virgin and Qantas services.
"We're just extremely disappointed."
Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said Jetstar and Townsville Airport had failed to reach agreement on airport charges.
"The cost is, I guess, making us defer our decision," he said.
Mr Westaway said several other coastal airports had a different approach to airport costs than Townsville.
Proserpine, for example, had a "field of dreams" approach, deciding that if they built an airport people would use it.
"They take the view that increased passenger throughput will increase their revenue and take that into account when deciding the airport costs," he said.
Mr Westaway said Townsville had a significant commerce and leisure market and would almost certainly become a Jetstar destination in the medium term.
Jetstar flies to eight airports in Queensland including the northern airports of Cairns, Rockhampton, Mackay, Hamilton Island and Proserpine.
The Courier-Mail
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