Prime Minister installs first lawn at multi-million dollar Newcastle Airport international terminal
Direct flights from Newcastle to Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific are on the horizon, but will be dependent on commitments from major airlines due to the construction of a new international terminal at Williamtown Air Base in late 2024.
Key Point:
- Airport officials are lobbying domestic and foreign airlines, but no overseas destinations have been set
- The first lawn was put into construction by the Prime Minister
- Paterson Congressman says more than 4,500 high-level jobs will be created
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was part of a delegation to roll the first lawn at the $110 million Newcastle Airport international terminal today.
“Novostrians are great travelers and this will offer them the opportunity to travel to other parts of Australia and the world,” he said.
Albanese said the existing airport is a “great asset” that has not yet been exploited to its full potential, and proposed providing $55 million in federal funding to help build the terminal. bottom.
“This $55 million investment is a vote of confidence for Newcastle, Hunter and the region,” he said.
“In this region, we can become a new energy powerhouse, an advanced manufacturing powerhouse, and even a tourism powerhouse.”
The remaining terminal expansion work will cost approximately $110 million and is being funded by loans and the New South Wales Government.
advertised destination
The airport said it was “working” on developing connections to global attractions in Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific, but nothing has been decided yet.
Successful connectivity will depend on the commitment of Australian and international telecommunications companies to provide connectivity once the terminal is operational.
The airport was a big supporter of the plans for the prime minister’s visit, with maps of planned overseas destinations on display.
“We are aware of the demand for both outbound and inbound flights,” Newcastle Airport spokesman Buchak Cesar said.
“We are in talks with some airlines about direct flights coming soon.
Domestic routes will also be expanded with fly-in and fly-out mining hotspots and connections to capital cities such as Darwin and Perth.
Newcastle Airport Chairman Jude Monroe said the expansion would be an important part of Hunter’s air precinct.
“We believe that once everything is complete and the defense industry is up and running at the Astra Aero Lab, which is adjacent to the airport, it will benefit the economy by $13 billion over the next 20 years,” she said.
He said the airport expansion would not aim to compete directly with Sydney, but would strengthen Newcastle as the second largest city in New South Wales.
“Secondary cities are very important: Gold Coast to Brisbane, Newcastle to Sydney, Geelong to Melbourne,” Monroe said.
“This means that transport connectivity will be enhanced. This will enhance the networking of cities in a global sense.”
thousands of jobs
Paterson Congressman Merrill Swanson said the airport had come a long way from the “tin warehouse” that opened in the immediate aftermath of World War II.
“We are growing an airport that is fit for the region,” she said.
“We hope that the more than 4,500 highly skilled jobs that will emerge from this infrastructure will create a lot of good fortune not only for the people of the region but also for the country.”
Terminal construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-06/newcastle-airport-prime-minister-terminal-expansion/102568730 Prime Minister installs first lawn at multi-million dollar Newcastle Airport international terminal
