Newcastle Airport has been named Major Airport of the Year 2021 by Australia’s peak airport body, the Australian Airports Association (AAA).

Major Airport of the Year is awarded annually to an airport with over 500,000 annual passengers which displays excellence across all aspects of airport operations and development.

Newcastle Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock accepted the award last month at the National Airport Industry Awards virtual ceremony.

Peter said winning the highly competitive award wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community.

“The support our region has shown us during good times and bad over the last 2 years has been phenomenal,” he said.

“Guided strongly by our purpose of delivering the airport our region deserves, we worked together with our stakeholders to deliver a multitude of outcomes that put us in a stronger position than before the pandemic.

“Support from our partners was also vital in achieving a Code E runway upgrade, regional inbound partnerships and the Williamtown Special Activation Precinct – all contributing to significant and lasting benefits for our community and our region.

“Of course, none of this could have been achieved without the support of shareholders City of Newcastle and Port Stephen’s Council. Even in the depths of the pandemic their support never wavered.

“Billions of dollars for our economy, thousands of new jobs and huge investment in our growth as a region is what this Award recognises.

“As our industry recovers and as passengers reenlist their trust in us to connect them with the world, Newcastle Airport is more driven than ever to connect with new destinations and deliver for our region,” he concluded.

This is the third Major Airport of the Year award for Newcastle Airport.

It gained the title previously in 2011 and 2018 for its commitment to community engagement and attracting international services.

IMAGE | Newcastle Airport recognised as 2021 Major Airport of the Year.