Future taking flight

IN 2014, Avalon’s future was looking shaky.

Tiger Airways had ceased flying out of the airport and Jetstar was threatening to do the same, cutting back its service to Sydney flights only. Qantas had closed its aircraft heavy maintenance plant at the airport, axing around 300 jobs.

A 2007 plan to make Avalon an international airport — which had included discussions between owners Linfox and Malaysian airline AirAsia X — had been long since shelved, bogged down in red tape and a lack of government regulatory approval.

An online petition was launched, appealing to Jetstar to not abandon the airport. The airport was left almost begging for its future.

Then, in April 2015, a $26 million deal between the State Government and Linfox secured its future and turned its fortunes around. The number of daily flights increased, as did the destinations on offer, with Gold Coast and then Hobart added to the roster. A month after the lifesaving deal, AirAsia again flagged its interest in establishing a partnership with Avalon.

Yesterday, after more than a decade of negotiations, government support and a fair bit of blood, sweat and tears, the new international terminal at Avalon was officially opened. The first influx of international visitors flying AirAsia X will touch down on Wednesday.

The occasion was as much a celebration of what the airport had achieved over the past few years as a glimpse into its exciting, lucrative future. Looking through the impressive new facilities — complete with eye-catching sculptures by artist David Bromley — its easy to forget how dire things were only four years ago.

Through it all, the man with unfaltering belief — even in the most challenging of times — has been CEO Justin Giddings.

To Justin, the airport’s owners at Linfox and everybody who has worked so hard behind the scenes to make this decadeslong dream a reality, we say bravo. Your work has literally brought the world to our doorstep.