Ground to break in coming months on new $70m airline hangar

The facility is expected to be a catalyst for the region with other airlines exploring a move to Rockhampton.

Construction of the $70 million Alliance Airlines maintenance hangar at Rockhampton Airport is scheduled to begin in the coming months and could mark the beginning of a whole new industry expansion for the region.

The project, which was proposed in December 2020 and formally announced by the growing airline in April this year, will involve Alliance Airlines relocating its aircraft servicing work from Europe and Singapore to Rockhampton.

The facility, which was approved for development by Rockhampton Regional Council recently, will be 140 metres wide, 16 metres high and 65 metres deep and has been designed to have space for three aircraft at a time.

There will also be an annex for parts, training rooms, office spaces and a car park for 100 vehicles.

The building will have sustainable power generation with a significant amount of solar panels on the roof and a large roof area to collect rain water.

The build is expected to take 12 months and support 120 jobs throughout, while also boosting other indirect small businesses that will provide supplies or gain work from the project.

The initial civil and site works are expected to begin in September, with the first tender for those works going out in a couple of weeks.

As the Rockhampton Airport is on a flood plain, the first step will be ground works to underpin the hangar.

Alliance Airlines managing director Scott McMillan said the first contract would be for a large civil company that would need other subcontractors to assist.

“Our goal is to have as many local businesses to be involved as we can,” he said.

The development still has some hoops to jump through but no delays are expected.

“We still have some approvals to get through but we don’t see any roadblocks with that,” Mr McMillan said.

“Our long-term maintenance balances on this hangar opening in September (2022).

“We are very confident September next year the whole thing will be commissioned.”

Once the site is operational, Alliance expects to employ 125 staff at the hangar and a further 100 jobs are predicted to be generated indirectly throughout the region.

Recruitment will begin later this year for a start date in September 2022 and a number of existing Alliance employees will be moved to Rockhampton.

Apprentices are a massive part of the project as Alliance plans to employ seven to eight apprentices each year, for a four-year apprenticeship.

“We want to go around all the schools and do presentations to the students that might want to take up aviation as a career,” Mr McMillan said.

“Training both initially and ongoing is a very significant part of what we want to do.

“It will be provided on site and through Tafe and university.”

In May, MP Michelle Landry announced the Federal Government’s pledge of $25 million towards the project.

“What we are planning to build in Rocky is a very significant project … to have all three levels of government working together is outstanding, they are all very supportive of the project, that’s really good to see,” Mr McMillan said.

The project is predicted to be the catalyst for a whole new industry for the region as other airlines may follow suit and open hangars in the city.

“This will be a big magnet in bringing other suppliers and training suppliers,” Mr McMillan said.

“What we are hoping is that over time this will be the first part of a whole range of aviation companies opening in Rocky.

“Other suppliers are contemplating opening in Rocky.”

The facility is scheduled to be completed by September 2022.