Communication the key for ‘extraordinary times’ in Townsville

by The Airport Professional February 21, 2019

Communication the key for ‘extraordinary times’ in Townsville

You could still hear a tinge of disbelief in the voice of Townsville Airport chief operating officer Kevin Gill as he spoke over the phone. “These are pretty extraordinary times to be honest, ‘’ he told The Airport Professional. “In aviation, we’ve all seen natural events and disasters and managed those but, yeah, we were one of the flooded, our family, and it’s different when you’ve gone through it and when you ...

by The Airport Professional January 24, 2019

Featured , Safety & security

Drones safety the focus of new project

Eye-in-the sky drones that venture near mainland capital city airports are themselves being scrutinised by a Civil Aviation Safety Authority project underway at the moment. The authority is keen to know how many drones, or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), are operated near airports ahead of rule changes later this year that will require all drones above 250 grams be registered. The project was launched before the recent drone problems at London’s ...

by The Airport Professional January 10, 2019

Featured , Major airports

Cairns makes its mark with on-time performance

Being located in an area known for cyclones and tropical storms hasn’t stopped Cairns Airport from making its mark globally when it comes to on-time performance (OTP). The Queensland airport is again celebrating being named as one of the world’s 10 most punctual small airports in the annual Punctuality League published this month by schedule expert OAG. Its ninth place also made it the only Australian airport to make the wider top ...

by The Airport Professional November 15, 2018

Featured , Safety & security

Scratching the surface on drone potential

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s hard-fought campaign to convince the growing number of drone users to stay away from airports and aircraft appears to be paying off. While the number of drones continues to increase, CASA chief executive Shane Carmody told the Australian Airports Association national conference in Brisbane that the volume of safety reports about conflicts between drones and aircraft appeared to have plateaued. Carmody said drones, regulatory reform and improved ...

by The Airport Professional November 13, 2018

Featured , Major airports

Lyell Strambi: long-term vision for airport investors

Melbourne Airport executive Lyell Strambi has warned against tipping airports into the regulatory upheaval being experienced by industry sectors such as energy. Strambi told the Australian Airports Association annual conference in Brisbane that long-term vision rather than short-term thinking was required to harvest the economic dividend from growth. Melbourne is in the throes of a major runway expansion with a price tag of more than $1 billion and is one of several ...

by The Airport Professional November 12, 2018

Airport people , Featured , Major airports

Sarah Renner on the diversity of aviation

When Sarah Renner was 12 years old, she told her dad she wanted to travel. She had made her mind up that she was going to be a flight attendant when she grew up. “He said why be a flight attendant, when I could fly the plane,” Renner says. The conversation had an impact. Three years later Renner could, in fact, fly a plane and has since enjoyed an extensive career in ...

by The Airport Professional November 5, 2018

Featured , Regional airports , Tourism & trade

Tamworth takes off with flight training

Tamworth Airport will house Virgin Australia's new flight training facilities - and international freight services are next on the agenda for this regional centre.

by The Airport Professional July 4, 2018

Featured , Passenger experience , Tourism & trade

‘Airside flip’ proves winning formula for Launceston

Launceston Airport is preparing its latest tilt at the Australian Airports Association annual awards after performing what general manager Paul Hodgen labels “an airside flip”. The flip is the latest in a series of changes at the northern Tasmanian airport as it moves to make itself an attractive alternative to its neighbour in Hobart and the state’s tourism gateway. The booming tourism industry has seen traffic at Launceston grow to almost ...

by The Airport Professional March 15, 2018

Airport people , Featured , Regional airports

Aviation connects Bardi people with oil and gas opportunity

It’s an essential operation supporting multi-billion-dollar Browse Basin resources projects, and runs like a well-oiled machine as it services up to 24 helicopters a day. It also gives members of the Djarindjin community the opportunity to work on their own land while gaining valuable aviation industry skills. A partnership between the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation and Broome International Airport (BIA) has provided a huge boost to the Bardi people living on the ...