Fresh fuel for renos to airport

MORE people travelled to Townsville by air last month than in any previous January and that’s great news for the capital of North Queensland.

The city’s humble little airport managed to greet 128,906 passengers for the month, an 8.9 per cent improvement on January 2017 and the fourth month of passenger growth in succession.

Airport bosses credit an increase in traffic from Melbourne – principally due to the recently added Tigerair service – for the boost in numbers.

They also say business traffic has improved, reflecting the business clout Townsville wields in the southeast.

The positive result for the airport will again bring into the spotlight Queensland Airports Ltd’s struggles with funding its $ 40 million Townsville redevelopment.

All airlines have so far agreed to introduce a $ 3 passenger charge to help fund the refurbishment and expansion.

All except Qantas, which has dug its heels in over the fee and claims it is too expensive a charge to introduce.

The company says it is willing to support upgrades to the airport, “but not on the scale proposed”.

With the continued growth of Townsville’s air traffic numbers, hopefully the two companies will again be able to return to the negotiating table and strike a deal to get the project moving.

At the moment Qantas operates Townsville’s only business lounge and the airport’s redevelopment plan would see another added for Virgin.

Business travel is another segment that has grown in January, so the lucrative market is a target for all airlines.

Adding another lounge would introduce an alternative in the business travel market, with travellers reaping the benefit of the increased competition for the business travel dollar.

Apart from those benefits, the plan would modernise and refresh the ageing airport and maximise the first impression travellers get when they touch down in our magnificent city.