Avalon is perfect to trial NZ flights

ONE of the unquestionably local success stories in terms of agility has been Avalon Airport.

The airport’s return from the brink during the past decade and reinvigoration as Victoria’s second international airport shows that it has more than proven its ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Like so many businesses, COVID-19 hit at a terrible time for the airport. Having just marked a year of overseas travel with AirAsia X and only weeks prior launched its first Bali service with airline Citilink, the airport also had a pending deal with Vietnamese airline VietJet and was poised to expand even further across the Asian market.

But in the background has been a desire and plan to look across the Ditch to New Zealand.

Now the momentum with which Avalon was taking off has dissipated. But the very things that made the airport so attractive to Asian carriers should make it the perfect trial site to resume overseas travel when the trans-Tasman travel bubble kicks into gear.

The size of the airport and frequency of flights would limit the amount of interaction between domestic and international passengers, making any future outbreak far more containable. What’s more, the airport’s proximity to both Geelong and the Great Ocean Road and the Melbourne CBD would cater well to visitors.

Avalon has the history and proven ability to pivot when required. Our leaders should give it careful consideration.