News & Discussion: Adelaide Airport & Airlines

[Maximus]

A few things...

Ho -- The feds own the land, but they're essentially just a landlord and regulator. Everything is governed by the Airports Act. If the airport want to build something in excess of $20 million, they need to submit a major development plan (MDP) that must be approved by the Minister. Otherwise, they can pretty much do what they like (within the parameters of the Act!). As a side note of possible interest and relevance, the kindly folk at Canberra Airport have offered to build a train station at their airport should high-speed rail ever become a reality.

Rev/Dazzeland -- An MDP for an airport hotel was approved way back in 2010. There's a thread here.

Muzzamo -- Any updates on your AirAsia check-in experience? Surely it wasn't downstairs?!

[muzzamo]

Muzzamo -- Any updates on your AirAsia check-in experience? Surely it wasn't downstairs?!

It certainly was. I'm guessing that is because the airasia departure time (11am ish from memory) is at a time when the other international checkin counters are at capacity. No doubt Airasia would have offered to locate themselves down there as part of their no doubt intense negotiations on fees with AAL. They will do anything to save a dollar or 3.

Apart from being in an odd location, it was fine down there. Similar facilities, pleasant etc. Far more than I can say about the atrocious KL LCCT that you fly to.

As it turns out, KL LCCT is going to be replaced with KLIA2 this year. It looks terrific and is a great development for anyone that is planning to fly Airasia out of Adelaide. There is a spectacular pedestrian bridge over the taxiway that plane geeks will love.

I'm in cambodia atm and will be spending 7 hours in KL LCCT on the way back from Hong Kong in Feb. I am *not* looking forward to it.

[Ho Really]

Just a curiosity. On Friday night (January 17th) when the cool change came through and we had those ligthning strikes, EK441 took off. Went outside and noticed lightning to the north (maybe past Outer Harbor way) as EK441 was gaining altitude on a northeast heading. It then tooked a right hand turn (to starboard) instead of the usual left turn. I then also noticed lightning towards the west probably around West Beach/Glenelg. The image below from my iPhone shows the B773's heading to avoid the bad weather.



Cheers

PS. Later on EK441 teamed up with EK407 (an A380-800 from Melbourne) on their way to Dubai...at different altitudes of course.

[Ho Really]

A bit of good news...

Virgin Australia Welcomes First Cabin Crew Graduates To New Adelaide Base
January 22, 2014

The first locally recruited and trained cabin crew members will graduate today at Virgin Australia’s newly established Adelaide base.

The 24 participants have spent the past seven weeks being trained and tested in safety and emergency procedures, aviation regulations and medicine and the very best in customer service.

Virgin Australia Chief Customer Officer Mark Hassell said: “At Virgin Australia we pride ourselves on offering award-winning service and our rigorous Cabin Crew training program plays an integral role in our success.

“We are especially excited about these graduates, as they are the first cabin crew to be recruited and trained in Adelaide, which benefits our business and the greater Adelaide community.

“These new team members have been selected for their motivation and commitment to excel and we expect them to put our customers at the heart of everything they do”, Mr Hassell said.

Adelaide plays an important role in Virgin Australia’s expanding domestic network, with more than 40 flights arriving and departing from the airport daily.

By opening a cabin crew base in Adelaide the airline was able to bring approximately 80 new jobs to South Australia.

Today’s graduates will join Virgin Australia’s increasing workforce, which includes seven new pilots who graduated from the cadet program in Adelaide in December and a further eight cadet pilots studying at Flight Training Adelaide.

The new Adelaide based cabin crew can look forward to flying on board Virgin Australia’s Boeing 737 and Embraer 190 aircraft travelling to all mainland state capitals as well as popular tourist destinations including the Gold Coast and Denpasar, Indonesia.

ETB News Australia

Cheers

[Vee]

Adelaide Airport breaks passenger record.

LOW-cost carriers AirAsiaX and Jetstar helped Adelaide Airport to post a massive 21.5 per cent increase international traffic in December and hit a new record of 227,000 passengers.

http://adelaidehub.blogspot.com.au/2014 ... enger.html

[[Shuz]]

21.5% increase in one year!? As if.

[Aidan]

21.5% increase in one year!? As if.

Sounds about right to me. I expect the direct flights to Dubai were the biggest driver of the increase, as more passengers flew international from Adelaide rather than having to change at another Australian city.

[Ho Really]

21.5% increase in one year!? As if.

Sounds about right to me. I expect the direct flights to Dubai were the biggest driver of the increase, as more passengers flew international from Adelaide rather than having to change at another Australian city.

Shuz and Aidan, didn't it say the increase was in December and it was attributed to (helped by) Air Asia X and Jetstar? With flights from Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar? Or am I reading it wrong?

Cheers

[muzzamo]

I don't think jetstar has started flying to dps yet

[Ho Really]

21.5% increase in one year!? As if.

Sounds about right to me. I expect the direct flights to Dubai were the biggest driver of the increase, as more passengers flew international from Adelaide rather than having to change at another Australian city.

Shuz and Aidan, didn't it say the increase was in December and it was attributed to (helped by) Air Asia X and Jetstar? With flights from Kuala Lumpur and Denpasar? Or am I reading it wrong?

Cheers

Should've also added the Jetstar flights to/from Auckland that started in December 2013 [like the ones to/from Denpasar].

Cheers

[Norman]

I don't think jetstar has started flying to dps yet

They started flying to Denpasar and Auckland in mid-December.

[Ho Really]

Plane plaza is a step too far
Monique Bowley

Oh, Adelaide. Sometimes I feel as if we are in a marriage. I love you, I really do. But sometimes I want to stab you.

We were named in the Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit. We've just hosted a hugely successful World Tour cycling race. We're about to catapult into a maniacal month of festival, fringe, music, car racing, food, writing and all the associated events that the long days of March bring.

There's going to be a LOT of people coming to town.

Thankfully, Adelaide Airport has it covered.

Remember the old airport? How quaint in comparison.

They were the days when there were only a handful of airlines, when Ansett was still around and Richard Branson was just a lower case virgin.

Sometimes referred to as 'The Tin Shed', it made us seem so … well … regional. When our new airport was built it was momentous.

It said in a tone of confidence: "Hello. Welcome to Adelaide, a modern city that is befitting of a modern airport".

We spent AGES patting ourselves on the back about our fresh new airport. It was a wee bit late in opening but when it finally did, all sins were forgotten.

Immediately it won a slew of awards, recognising its green initiatives and its quality of service. It even won the big one: 'Australian Capital City Airport of the Year'. Eat that, Sydney.

Adelaidians secretly marvelled that something in our city was designed so well. The smooth drive up the departure ramp, easy pickups, a split level airport seemed so chic. Inside, we luxuriated in the decent coffee, the free luggage trolleys, the WIFI.

The airport gets seven million passengers annually. There's around 15 different airlines servicing hundreds of flights a day. Which is why it astonishes me that for an airport that claims to be a "national leader in quality of service for the travelling public and their guests", they have one of the most absurd drop-off/pick-up systems the world has ever seen.

For those who are yet to experience it, picture this: it's now combined all along the same small stretch of road. It's dangerous and frustrating, not just for those backed up or trying to get into cars, but for the inspectors who bale up commuters non-stop for hovering, double parking, or taking too long.

It's created space for what they've called the 'pedestrian plaza', which is nothing more than a dead concrete space in the same soulless vein as the new Rundle Mall.

This endless paved area has no point except to provide a new obstacle course for any elderly or disabled that now have to journey the extra distance. Memo to airport management: we don't go to the airport to mosey along a plaza. We go to travel, in what we hope will be a smooth, hassle-free experience.

It's not like there is a shortage of space - sitting just next to the plaza of unearthly non-delights is an empty, unused carpark. It took everything my ride had not to mount the gutter and make this empty lot an impromptu new pick-up spot.

I was prepared to overlook it, thinking it was a temporary measure while the carpark was completed. But now the carpark stands, and the shambolic strip is still there, it now looks very permanent.

And according to the inspector that was trying to handle the pandemonium as cars beeped and commuters poured out to be collected last Sunday afternoon: "This is it".

So what can be done? Can't we use what's there? The old ramp up the top for departures and ground level for arrivals. Stops the chaos, and can be the cherry on top of what is already a very fine airport. It's plane and simple.

City Messenger

Basically the article reiterates what I and many others on this forum have said. If I am not wrong the writer has just been abroad (Europe). She should've mentioned how they handle this issue.

Cheers

P.S. I don't subscribe to the marriage and the stabbing bit in the intro. Also we didn't get a new airport but a new multi-user (expandable) terminal.

[Patrick_27]

Plane plaza is a step too far
Monique Bowley

Oh, Adelaide. Sometimes I feel as if we are in a marriage. I love you, I really do. But sometimes I want to stab you.

We were named in the Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit. We've just hosted a hugely successful World Tour cycling race. We're about to catapult into a maniacal month of festival, fringe, music, car racing, food, writing and all the associated events that the long days of March bring.

There's going to be a LOT of people coming to town.

Thankfully, Adelaide Airport has it covered.

Remember the old airport? How quaint in comparison.

They were the days when there were only a handful of airlines, when Ansett was still around and Richard Branson was just a lower case virgin.

Sometimes referred to as 'The Tin Shed', it made us seem so … well … regional. When our new airport was built it was momentous.

It said in a tone of confidence: "Hello. Welcome to Adelaide, a modern city that is befitting of a modern airport".

We spent AGES patting ourselves on the back about our fresh new airport. It was a wee bit late in opening but when it finally did, all sins were forgotten.

Immediately it won a slew of awards, recognising its green initiatives and its quality of service. It even won the big one: 'Australian Capital City Airport of the Year'. Eat that, Sydney.

Adelaidians secretly marvelled that something in our city was designed so well. The smooth drive up the departure ramp, easy pickups, a split level airport seemed so chic. Inside, we luxuriated in the decent coffee, the free luggage trolleys, the WIFI.

The airport gets seven million passengers annually. There's around 15 different airlines servicing hundreds of flights a day. Which is why it astonishes me that for an airport that claims to be a "national leader in quality of service for the travelling public and their guests", they have one of the most absurd drop-off/pick-up systems the world has ever seen.

For those who are yet to experience it, picture this: it's now combined all along the same small stretch of road. It's dangerous and frustrating, not just for those backed up or trying to get into cars, but for the inspectors who bale up commuters non-stop for hovering, double parking, or taking too long.

It's created space for what they've called the 'pedestrian plaza', which is nothing more than a dead concrete space in the same soulless vein as the new Rundle Mall.

This endless paved area has no point except to provide a new obstacle course for any elderly or disabled that now have to journey the extra distance. Memo to airport management: we don't go to the airport to mosey along a plaza. We go to travel, in what we hope will be a smooth, hassle-free experience.

It's not like there is a shortage of space - sitting just next to the plaza of unearthly non-delights is an empty, unused carpark. It took everything my ride had not to mount the gutter and make this empty lot an impromptu new pick-up spot.

I was prepared to overlook it, thinking it was a temporary measure while the carpark was completed. But now the carpark stands, and the shambolic strip is still there, it now looks very permanent.

And according to the inspector that was trying to handle the pandemonium as cars beeped and commuters poured out to be collected last Sunday afternoon: "This is it".

So what can be done? Can't we use what's there? The old ramp up the top for departures and ground level for arrivals. Stops the chaos, and can be the cherry on top of what is already a very fine airport. It's plane and simple.

City Messenger

Basically the article reiterates what I and many others on this forum have said. If I am not wrong the writer has just been abroad (Europe). She should've mentioned how they handle this issue.

Cheers

P.S. I don't subscribe to the marriage and the stabbing bit in the intro. Also we didn't get a new airport but a new multi-user (expandable) terminal.

Typical piss-ant article from this reporter. What more could you expect from an Adelaide journalist? Complain about what's been built but can't offer an alternative. Yes, the plaza is stupid, the fact they've left an old road bridge in-tact is stupid, and the fact that they have a footbridge that is curved for no good reason is stupid; but someone give some inspiration for further change, not just piss and moan like the useless Peter Goers.

Personally, I think with a hotel planned for the Eastern side of the plaza - foot-traffic should pick up a little more on that side. on the Western side I'd love to see the displayed plane in the long-term car-park relocated to the plaza, fill in a large portion on this space and surround it with cafe's.

[[Shuz]]

Plane plaza is a step too far
Monique Bowley

Oh, Adelaide. Sometimes I feel as if we are in a marriage. I love you, I really do. But sometimes I want to stab you.

We were named in the Lonely Planet's top 10 cities to visit. We've just hosted a hugely successful World Tour cycling race. We're about to catapult into a maniacal month of festival, fringe, music, car racing, food, writing and all the associated events that the long days of March bring.

There's going to be a LOT of people coming to town.

Thankfully, Adelaide Airport has it covered.

Remember the old airport? How quaint in comparison.

They were the days when there were only a handful of airlines, when Ansett was still around and Richard Branson was just a lower case virgin.

Sometimes referred to as 'The Tin Shed', it made us seem so … well … regional. When our new airport was built it was momentous.

It said in a tone of confidence: "Hello. Welcome to Adelaide, a modern city that is befitting of a modern airport".

We spent AGES patting ourselves on the back about our fresh new airport. It was a wee bit late in opening but when it finally did, all sins were forgotten.

Immediately it won a slew of awards, recognising its green initiatives and its quality of service. It even won the big one: 'Australian Capital City Airport of the Year'. Eat that, Sydney.

Adelaidians secretly marvelled that something in our city was designed so well. The smooth drive up the departure ramp, easy pickups, a split level airport seemed so chic. Inside, we luxuriated in the decent coffee, the free luggage trolleys, the WIFI.

The airport gets seven million passengers annually. There's around 15 different airlines servicing hundreds of flights a day. Which is why it astonishes me that for an airport that claims to be a "national leader in quality of service for the travelling public and their guests", they have one of the most absurd drop-off/pick-up systems the world has ever seen.

For those who are yet to experience it, picture this: it's now combined all along the same small stretch of road. It's dangerous and frustrating, not just for those backed up or trying to get into cars, but for the inspectors who bale up commuters non-stop for hovering, double parking, or taking too long.

It's created space for what they've called the 'pedestrian plaza', which is nothing more than a dead concrete space in the same soulless vein as the new Rundle Mall.

This endless paved area has no point except to provide a new obstacle course for any elderly or disabled that now have to journey the extra distance. Memo to airport management: we don't go to the airport to mosey along a plaza. We go to travel, in what we hope will be a smooth, hassle-free experience.

It's not like there is a shortage of space - sitting just next to the plaza of unearthly non-delights is an empty, unused carpark. It took everything my ride had not to mount the gutter and make this empty lot an impromptu new pick-up spot.

I was prepared to overlook it, thinking it was a temporary measure while the carpark was completed. But now the carpark stands, and the shambolic strip is still there, it now looks very permanent.

And according to the inspector that was trying to handle the pandemonium as cars beeped and commuters poured out to be collected last Sunday afternoon: "This is it".

So what can be done? Can't we use what's there? The old ramp up the top for departures and ground level for arrivals. Stops the chaos, and can be the cherry on top of what is already a very fine airport. It's plane and simple.

City Messenger

[bm7500]

This article is really just some year 10 journalism piece.

I was at the airport over the weekend and there is no mention of the water feature which is nearing completion, the expanded alfresco area outside Hudsons Coffee or the newly opened convenience store, all within the plaza area.

If the scribe had actually bothered to do some research or speak with someone of authority at AAL, she would have been told that there are a number of features planned for the plaza area. Construction has already started on the first of the 'pod' stores, one of which will include a subway.

But i'm guessing she had a deadline to meet and a space in the messenger rag to fill. I suppose it's a bit much to expect any better.