A gateway to prosperity
When Avalon Airport was acquired by Linfox from the Federal Government in 1997 it employed fewer than 100 staff. Today, due to its popularity with travellers and its development as a maintenance base, the airport has 1400 employees and has generated many off-site jobs in support services. Avalon Airport's general manager, Justin Giddings, says the facility has been a boon to the local economy. "At the airport alone there are local businesses such as car rental, food outlets and other retail," he says. "Bus services, taxis and many tour operators have also increased their turnover." The airport is a fast-growing alternative air gateway from Melbourne. More than three million passengers have passed through it since the first flights to Brisbane and Sydney in 2004, almost a million of them last year. "We plan to expand the terminal and double that figure in the near future," Mr Giddings says. "Avalon is a real alternative to Melbourne Airport for Geelong residents, but also to Melbourne businesses and families seeking a lower-cost alternative. I met with a number of Geelong business leaders recently and they mentioned how convenient the airport is in terms of cost savings and time efficiency because of its proximity." He says 20 per cent of the airport traffic is business travellers from the Geelong area and 50 per cent are holiday passengers. One in three people who pass through the airport also visit the Great Ocean Road. There is no doubt that Geelong, the surrounding Bellarine Peninsula and the surf coast regions have benefited because the airport has been successfully marketed as a gateway for fly-drive tourism in the area, Mr Giddings says. "Geelong has provided us with great support and it recognises the economic benefits and potential for site development in coming years." Airport management will soon present a new proposal to establish an international passenger terminal at Avalon. "The proposed international operations are expected to generate up to 420 more jobs, and that would make Avalon Airport the third largest employer in this region," Mr Giddings says. |
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