Melbourne Airport gears up as poll reveals people want to travel
As new polling reveals the majority of Victorians are interested in travelling again, Melbourne Airport is gearing up to resume flights and lobbying to become home to the beleaguered Virgin Australia.
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Seventy per cent of Victorians would fly interstate and nearly half overseas in the next three months if they could, new Melbourne Airport polling shows.
The interest in travel — including to overseas coronavirus hot spots — comes as the airport gears up to resume flights and lobbies to become the new home of beleaguered Virgin Australia.
“Our research shows Victorians can’t wait to get back in the air travelling again and we’re ready to help make that happen at a moment’s notice,” airport chief Lyell Strambi said.
“Our findings reflect actions that some of our airline partners have already flagged, like super-low airfares to kickstart demand.”
He said the airport was ready for takeoff — after the most devastating period in its history — and keen to become the new home of “Virgin Mark II”.
The Virgin brand was a perfect fit with Melbourne’s “sophisticated population”, Mr Strambi said.
“We are monitoring the sale process closely and stand ready to work with the successful bidder,” he said.
“You only need to look at where Virgin is invested in Melbourne — from footy to fashion — to see that the brand understands what it is to be Victorian (and) there is an opportunity for Virgin to genuinely become one.”
But a Victorian treasury spokesman has said a major government investment in Virgin was contingent on it being a good deal for the state and creating jobs, “and that’s not currently the proposition”.
The Melbourne Airport survey of more than 10,000 people shows Victorians are keen to fly, with a quarter claiming they would fly domestically tomorrow if allowed.
Fifteen per cent would fly internationally straight away and 45 per cent in the next three months, nominating the thrill of travel and the promise of bargain airfares as the chief reasons.
Most selected New Zealand as their destination of choice, but 15 per cent said they would fly to the United Kingdom and 12 per cent to the coronavirus-stricken United States.
“Thanks to Australia’s extraordinary success in suppressing coronavirus, there are signs of light at the end of a very dark tunnel,” Mr Strambi said.
“While there is still a lot of uncertainty around when state borders will reopen, we are now preparing the airport for domestic travel to restart.
”We want to avoid anything that makes travel less efficient, less enjoyable or more expensive.”
Saving Virgin Australia was essential to competition and the future of affordable travel, he stressed.
Melbourne Airport has revealed its worst traveller numbers since opening in 1970, with a 98 per cent drop in passengers last month, compared with April 2019.
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