SCOMO’S FLYING VISIT TO LAUNCH NEW TERMINAL
AUSTRALIA’S treasurer has made his way to Geelong to help officially launch the construction of Avalon Airport’s international terminal.
Just days after announcing the Government would provide $20 million for the new terminal through its Federal Budget, Treasurer Scott Morrison helped break the ground at the construction site on Saturday.
Airport chief Justin Giddings said the extra funding injection from the Government — covering about half of total construction costs — would allow for the terminal to be expanded.
“The money will allow us to build the terminal bigger. About 25 per cent bigger,” Mr Giddings told the Geelong Advertiser last week.
“It will give us the capacity for more gates (in the terminal) in the future. It will allow five or six flights a day in the future.”
The airport released a floor plan for the uncomplicated 6250sq m terminal over the weekend, including capacity for future expansion.
Construction is expected to generate more than 30 jobs at the airport and 50 off-site, as well as almost 190 full-time jobs at the airport including customs officers, and ground and terminal staff.
In February, AirAsia X announced it would pull all of its services from Melbourne Airport and relocate to Avalon, where it will initially provide two daily flights to Kuala Lumpur.