Adelaide Airport could host new flights if it impresses airline bosses at aviation forum next year
SOUTH Australians could fly direct to the US and on new routes to Asia in a few years as ministers preparing to lobby international airline bosses who will descend on Adelaide next year.
SOUTH Australians could fly direct to the US and on new routes to Asia in a few years with the federal and state tourism ministers preparing to lobby international airline bosses who will descend on Adelaide next year.
The city will be the first in Australia to host the World Aviation Routes conference, attracting 3000 delegates from airlines, airports and tourism authorities to develop new flight routes and which will inject more than $20 million into the state’s economy.
SA Tourism and Trade Minister David Ridgway, pictured, will today attend the world’s largest aviation forum in Guangzhou, China, for an official handover before Adelaide hosts the event next September.
The Advertiser understands flights from Adelaide to the United States and additional routes to Asia are the main focus for Mr Ridgway and his federal counterpart Simon Birmingham – after Qantas expanded its European operations at Perth airport.
Mr Ridgway said he looked forward to discussing opportunities for new routes and showcasing why Adelaide was growing as a destination for international travellers.
“There have been good recent signs for SA with Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific and China Southern all putting on additional Adelaide services and Singapore Airlines also upgrading its Adelaide aircraft to the next-generation Airbus, but we need to keep the momentum going,” Mr Ridgway said.
“More flights into Adelaide means more people dining in our local restaurants and more people staying in our hotels.”
Upgrades to Adelaide Airport will help the ministers’ bid, while airlines already established in Australia would face less red tape to expand their operations which could see new routes established in a couple of years.
Mr Birmingham said there was every reason to further expand international flights to Adelaide with additional naval shipbuilding investments and the state’s tourism potential.
“This is a unique opportunity for Australia and also South Australia to take centre stage and have the biggest players in world aviation in our own backyard,” Mr Birmingham said. “By hosting this conference, we’ll be front of mind when the biggest aviation companies have discussions about new air routes or expanding capacity on existing routes.
“While international aviation capacity to Australia now exceeds 25 million seats per year, further increasing this capacity will only strengthen and help sustain our tourism industry in the long run.”
In the year to June, Adelaide Airport set a new record of more than one million international passengers passing through its terminal.
The World Routes 2019 conference will be held from September 21-24 and will be hosted by the SA Tourism Commission, Adelaide Airport, Adelaide Convention Bureau and Tourism Australia.