Airport shows it’s committed

THE $55 million upgrade of the Cairns Airport domestic terminal will make life easier for passengers, staff and airlines.

Despite more direct flights from overseas, the fact is most of our international tourists (75 per cent) still arrive in the Far North on domestic services.

So it is vital the domestic terminal be improved to make the journey a better experience for all involved.

The building will be expanded by 10,000sq m with extra seating and an improved layout to make for better navigation of the terminal.

Hopefully it will make the security checks quicker, less congestion at the departure gates and a seamless process for arriving passengers who currently have to funnel through the departures area.

The project, which is expected to take more than a year, will include an additional 2000sq m of dining and retail offerings with an emphasis on local goods and services.

The contract has been awarded to the Cairns franchise of Hutchinson Builders which has locally based staff. It will mean 300 jobs during construction and 150 permanent jobs after completion.

The airport forecasts six million passengers a year through the terminal by 2027, about a million more than currently, so the improvements are looking to the future.

The tourism industry is being held back by the lack of capacity into Cairns, due in part to a lack of aircraft and pilots.

If more international routes can be signed up it will free up seats on domestic networks.

The airport’s commitment is surely a sign for the airlines to consider more services to Cairns.

Nick Dalton Deputy editor