Planning school holidays will soon be easier as airport works schedule release nears

Territorians crying out for certainty around school and Christmas holiday flights will soon have a better idea of whether their plans will be disrupted as a works schedule is released.

Territorians crying out for certainty around school holiday flights into and out of Darwin may soon have it.

The Department of Defence is expected within days to release the method of works program for Darwin Airport’s $180m runway upgrades after consultation with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

Territorians are sweating on the release of the works program to plan October and Christmas holidays.

When the program is released, airlines will be better able to schedule flights into and out of Darwin with more certainty.

Darwin airport has only one runway, jointly used civilly and by Defence.

Darwin Airport runway will soon have a $180m upgrade. Picture: Floss Adams.

Jetstar has already blocked bookings on flights to Bali for most of October and early November pending certainty around the works and Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce told this masthead schedules and fares would be impacted for the duration of the $180m project.

Scheduled to take two Dry seasons and be completed by about October 2024, they will be the largest upgrades at Darwin Airport for 30 years.

The last upgrades at the airport involved tarmac resurfacing in 2007.

Defence rotates major and minor upgrades at the airport every 15-20 years with the last major works undertaken in the early 1990s.

The schedule could be released as early as this weekend and certainly by early next week.

Passenger disruption is expected during two years of Darwin Airport upgrades. Picture: Floss Adams.

The MOWP will be followed by three weeks of consultation before indicative works begin mid-August.

At the arrival of new regional carrier Nexus Airlines at Darwin Airport on Friday, Tourism Minister Nicole Manison said the government anticipated the schedule release “shortly”.

“Our position hasn’t changed. We want to make sure that they absolutely minimise disruption to services here in the Northern Territory,” she said.

“We’ve advocated for that very strongly. There will be further work to happen with the airlines once those works are out but our main priority hasn’t changed.

Qantas expects disruption and fare hikes to flights in and out of Darwin. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Geraghty

“We know these runway works have to happen, it’s a safety factor, however we want to make sure they’re done in the most efficient way to minimise disruption to airlines.”

A spokesman for Airport Development Group, which leases Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek airports from the Australian government, said it was still working with Defence to finalise the schedule.

Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison wants minimal disruption from the works: Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“DIA is a joint Civil and Defence airport and all works are required to be compliant with all civil aviation regulatory bodies,” the spokesman said.

“The MOWP must be compliant with CASA requirements and approved by them before this work can commence.

“ADG is aware the uncertainly regarding these works is impacting our airline partners and the travelling public, and as such do hope that an amended MOWP can be submitted to CASA for approval before the end of July, which would enable works to commence in August.

“ADG continues to keep stakeholders, including the Northern Territory Government, informed of the status of the MOWP.”

The works are expected to generate a peak daily workforce of around 150 personnel with an average daily workforce of between 60–90 personnel.

Defence has been contacted for comment.