Aviation boom in the region

Toowoomba business looks to skies

TOOWOOMBA is currently experiencing an aviation boom, a leading business figure has said.

Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise CEO Ali Davenport said the announcement the Qantas Pilot Training Academy would be based in the Garden City had created a sense of excitement around town.

“I think the Qantas announcement has opened everybody’s eyes to the possibility of what we can achieve in this region,” Ms Davenport said.

The Qantas announcement on Thursday followed the opening of the Flight Training Adelaide Queensland facility at Wellcamp Airport on Monday, and the University of Southern Queensland announcement it would expand its aviation course to Toowoomba.

“It is an aviation boom,” Ms Davenport said.

“There is no reason why oth- er airlines or other training schools won’t come to this region now for the exact same reason that Qantas has.”

Ms Davenport said aviation added to the diversity of Toowoomba’s business sector.

“This just add another string to our bow in terms of economic diversity,” she said.

“We have agriculture, the resources sector, now pilot training, so many things to be proud of and things to be excited about.

“And with hospitals, schools and all sorts of amazing things announced in the last week, this is one of many exciting things happening in our region.”

Early works on the $35 million Qantas training facility, which will train 250 student pilots a year, began yesterday, with major construction works expected to begin next month.

“Having 250 students and 160 trainers and staff in the region is going to be amazing,” Ms Davenport said.

“The economic benefits of that is enormous.”