Avalon International & Lindsay Fox

[FFG 02]

Hey Ppruners,

Just had a call from my old man in Melbourne who saw a report about Lindsay Fox investing $30M into Avalon Airport to turn up grade it to another International Airport. Possibly teaming up with Air Asia X.

Have heard second hand from a non-flyer so over to those of you who have heard the reports first hand.

I remember doing a Aerial Photography charter down on behalf of the Vic Gov't Planning committee or something some years ago. The State Government were thinking about creating a toxic waste dump in the area. My how times change!

[Going Boeing]

Can't help you with this thread but, from your handle, I assume that you flew helos off HMAS Canberra. I believe that it has now been decomissioned.

[Buster Hyman]

Wow. 2 posts in & already a drifted thread! Is that a record?

Back to topic, he'll have to do a deal to get HMC & AQIS down there on a full time basis, otherwise it'll be a very expensive exercise!

[SM4 Pirate]

Does part of the $30M include a new Tower, and staff to run it?

I heard a figure of 2M International Pax per year through YMAV (yes, I have a dream), add that to the 1M+ Domestics and anyone in their right mind would agree that it's time for a proper tower service.

[ollie_a]

Air Asia X definitely do have Avalon on their radar so to speak.
http://www.airasia.com/storage/bo/aaportal.model.ContentFileUpload/1c940ad4-ac1e00ae-1fa490e0-6d96957b/name/AAXmap.gif

[Like This - Do That]

If that map's a reliable guide then the civ terminal at Willy will need a touch up too .....

Do they intend flying NRL fans in from Amritsar and Cheongju for Knights home games ?!?!? :} Or to kick it up at the Shoal Bay Country Club .....

[Pundit]

...And a civilian terminal at Amberley.....

[training wheels]

Hey, what's the taxi fare from Avalon to the city these days? I bet it'd be cheaper to fly to Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia X than to catch a taxi to the city!

[Buster Hyman]

Well, if that map's anything to go by, I think it'd be cheaper to catch the train from Mildura than a taxi!

[Walrus 7]

If this expansion comes to reality (and most things Linfox does do) then I withdraw all my objections to a tower at AV. To keep the airport viable, they will have to ramp-up the traffic to recover the costs. In that case, I would reluctantly support a tower going in and the establishment of Class C airspace. We have had a few good years of being able to get out to the west without tracking miles out of our way. I guess those days are gone now.

But what happens to the airshow? Linfox is no great supporter, and although there is supposed to be an agreement to 2015, there is no way a rejuvenated Avalon could host it. I'm sure the agreement is nothing that Linfox can't solve.

Could this be the end of the Australian International Airshow? I suspect so, given that there are few other airports close to capital cities that could host it without interfering with either heavy RPT or MIL ops.

Walrus

[PA39]

LF would pull that out of his fob pocket. This bloke knows what its like to do it tough and knows what its like to be the pack leader, a very astute investor and a great Aussie.

[Pundit]

Uncouth, bully --- not attributes of a great person