Low-cost airlines force Avalon to upgrade

Avalon airport executives are heading overseas this week to drum up business for a new $30 million international terminal designed to attract low-cost carriers to the former aircraft testing field near Geelong.
Owner Linfox is hoping at least to triple annual passenger numbers at the airport over the next three to five years as a result of the move and expected domestic expansion.
Linfox Airports managing director David Fox said yesterday: "We're about to go on a bit of a tour to have discussions with several different parties."
Linfox is hoping the new terminal will be an attractive alternative for long-haul, low-cost carriers emerging in the Asia-Pacific region and eyeing Australia.
Avalon is the home of the Australian International Airshow and has aircraft from around the world visiting for the binennial event. It has a 3000m runway capable of handling wide-bodied aircraft and has Boeing 747 aircraft landing at a Qantas maintenance facility there.
Its owners have spent $13million since 2004 to establish the airport, about 55km southwest of Melbourne, as a low-cost domestic airport and annual passengers numbers have grown to about one million on 70 weekly interstate services. The airport is already strongly favoured as a destination by Malaysian-based AirAsiaX, which began flying from Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast last month.
Mr Fox cited India's Kingfisher Airlines and carriers in Macau as other possibilities.
20/11/07 Steve Creedy/The Australian/NEWS.com.au, Australia

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Categories: Airports Nov 2007, Foreign Nov 2007, Kingfisher Nov 2007