Last week the Hunter region celebrated a major milestone with the official opening of the international arrivals and departure fit-out at Newcastle Airport.
Opened by Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Andrew Constance in front of dignitaries and guests, the $1.6 million project—majority funded by the NSW Government—has been completed ahead of schedule.
The fit-out now completes the 2015 terminal redevelopment and has included the installation of the necessary security technology, IT technology, passenger screening equipment, and furniture for the border agencies.
Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock said the fit-out was always part of the plan after the terminal expansion project in 2015.
“It’s great to see it all come together.Our region is now one step closer to offering direct international services at Newcastle Airport,” said Peter.
“From a terminal infrastructure perspective, we have done everything we need to do to be ready for international flights.”
Newcastle Airport doesn’t currently have any announcements on the horizon, however, the completion of these fit-out works have removed the last infrastructure hurdle to bring international flights to Newcastle.
“I know our region is passionate about travel and there is an incredible desire for international travel. I know, because I’m told almost every day that you want to be able to fly overseas from your local airport,” Peter said.
“I can assure you that my team and I are working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this a reality. Our region certainly deserves to be able to fly to more destinations from their local airport.
“While my team can talk the talk to the airlines, we need you to walk the walk with the airlines. What we ask is for you to continue to be passionate about travel and about your local airport.
“We need you to keep travelling and we need you to choose Newcastle Airport as your point A when you travel, at the moment be it for a domestic or international trip—hubing through Brisbane, the GoldCoast, or Melbourne. We need you to show the airlines that we want to go smarter and fly from our local airport.
“The completion of this project is incredibly exciting for our region. We deserve to have this infrastructure and we deserve to have direct international flights to our region. We’ve delivered the first to you and I assure you we’re working hard to deliver the latter too,” Peter said.
