Cairns airport general aviation to receive $45m common user hangar

Cairns Airport could become the home of aviation maintenance and parts manufacturing, with a significant new investment announced as a Labor election commitment.

A Jetstar commercial passenger plane comes in to land at the Cairns Airport, using an Instrument Landing System (ILS) to guide the aircraft approach angle need to land safely. Picture: Brendan Radke.

The Far North’s growing aviation sector will receive a significant investment, creating the potential for parts manufacturing to occur in Cairns, under a re-elected Labor government.

Premier Steven Miles has announced a $45m election commitment to build a common user hangar at the Cairns Eastern Aviation Precinct.

Mr Miles said the priority hangar spanning 10,000 sqm would involve 100 jobs during its construction, while noting the existing maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in Cairns were operating close to capacity.

Premier Steven Miles is announcing a $45m common user hangar at Cairns Airport. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

“As the trade gateway to the Asia-Pacific region, the Far North is already playing an important role maintaining large turboprop and regional jet aircraft and this will make it even bigger and better,” he said.

“A new common user hangar will support our growing aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul sector to service larger aircraft and potentially move into parts manufacturing because a future made in Australia is really a future made in Queensland.”

Cairns MP Michael Healy said the general aviation precinct at the Cairns Airport was already worth $88m and supported about 1000 jobs.

A conceptual render of the 10,000 square metre common use maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) hangar, a key piece of the eastern aviation precinct.

“This new $45m hangar will allow simultaneous maintenance on three mid-sized jet aircraft like a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320,” he said.

Barron River MP Craig Crawford and Cook MP Cynthia Lui both acknowledged the services the general aviation precinct offered to the remote parts of the Cape and Gulf, as well as neighbouring countries in the South Pacific.

Treasurer Cameron Dick said if re-elected he was committed to making Cairns an “even stronger” and internationally-recognised MRO destination.

The election commitment comes as the wider airport operation welcomes a mix of investment including the private development of a 183-unit complex by MiHaven at the business park precinct.

The $45m hangar was part of a budget submission by Advance Cairns last year, with the advocacy group also calling for the establishment of an $8m Cessna training simulator at Cairns Airport.

Originally published as Cairns airport general aviation to receive $45m common user hangar