Queensland treasurer Cameron Dick announces support for Alliance Airlines maintenance hangar at Rockhampton Airport

When Alliance Airlines was investigating a location for its $60 million maintenance hangar, there were key reasons Rockhampton Airport stood out from the rest.

The final level of government support has now been ticked off for Alliance Airlines’ $60 million maintenance hangar to be built at Rockhampton Airport.

The project is a three bay hangar, 130 metres wide, 16 metres tall and 65 metres deep, and will involve Alliance moving all off its maintenance work from overseas to Rockhampton.

The development was officially approved by Rockhampton Regional Council in May.

Queensland Treasurer and Investment Minister Cameron Dick touched down in the city, along with Gladstone-based Regional Development and Manufacturing Minister Glenn Butcher and a significant contingent of Alliance executives.

When Alliance was investigating opening a hangar in Australia, the choice was narrowed down to a location in Queensland as the company is based in the state, which then led to Rockhampton being chosen, Alliance managing director Scott McMillan revealed.

“This airport is owned by the council so we are talking to the owners, rather than having to talk to the commonwealth if we did this in a capital city,” Mr McMillan said.

“We needed an airport that was not on the coast … Rockhampton is unique that it is the largest airport in Queensland that isn’t on the coast, we are going to have aircraft that is going to sit here for a while and we don’t want that to be in a saline environment.

“It’s just north of the tropic of Capricorn so we can use the Northern Australian Infrastructure Fund.”

Mr Dick declared his enthusiastic support for the project and said it was a terrific commitment not just to aviation, but to jobs.

The construction of the hangar itself is expected to support 100 jobs and once operational, it is expected to employ 125 staff.

“I’m so pleased with the support of Palaszczuk Labor Government that Alliance Airlines will be establishing a $60 million maintenance repair and overhaul facility right here in Central Queensland,” he said.

“High quality, good paying maintenance repair and overhaul jobs.

“We are so pleased to partner with a great Queensland company, based in Brisbane, a national airline flying to Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and all around the country.

Federal member for Capricornia Michelle Landry announced in May the Federal Government would front $25 million towards the project.

Mr Dick said the State Government had pledged an amount however could not confirm the exact figure.

“We have been working closely with Alliance to bring the project to life and to finalise it,” he said.

“We will make a support contribution to the project as well, we do that on a commercial basis with a number of companies.”

Mr Butcher said the important news was jobs were coming from overseas and back to regional Queensland.

“This is not only great news for the repairs, maintenance and overhaul to get done, but also those supply chain opportunities for new businesses to come to Rockhampton and to Central Queensland to help supply those goods that they need to do the overhauls on these planes,” he said.

Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke said it was an “absolute win for Rockhampton” while Rockhampton region mayor Tony Williams declared himself the happiest mayor in Queensland.

“The jobs it will create and there will be so many other opportunities, whether its in the training space and things like that,” Mr O’Rourke said.

“This maintenance facility being built right here in the Rockhampton region is going to be such a gamechanger for the region,” Mr Williams said.

“We see this as a real catalyst for other associated industries to come in and build off the back of this.

“We have been developing our airport and terminal and this hangar will dovetail into what we are already spending at the moment.”

Mr McMillan said it was great to receive all of the support.

The build is set to begin this October with a finish date in October 2022.

“We need this facility completed by October next year because we have a maintenance program with 75 aircraft that dovetails into that facility being finished,” Mr McMillan said.