News & Discussion: Adelaide Airport & Airlines

[AndyWelsh]

Adelaide Airport’s new international departures hall and retail concourse has opened to travellers, in the latest step in its $165 million expanded terminal development.

https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/ ... all-opens/

[rev]

Virgin Australia unveils ‘lounge of the future’ at Adelaide Airport

Airports – remember those? Virgin Australia has launched a fancy new lounge. And even if you’re not flying anytime soon, you can take a look inside it here.
Giuseppe Tauriello
@gtauriello
2 min read
February 23, 2021 - 5:26PM
The Australian Business Network

Current Time 0:48
/
Duration 1:16
UP NEXT

Virgin Australia has revealed how their lounges will…

Virgin Australia has unveiled its new “lounge of the future” in Adelaide Airport, creating a blueprint for future upgrades across the country.

The new-look lounge is located next to the Penfolds Wine Bar & Kitchen, and features a coffee and wine bar, dining areas, showers, work spaces and a “cellar door hub” showcasing South Australian wineries.

It accommodates up to 283 Virgin Australia frequent flyer customers across 1097sq m.

The lounge was initially expected to open last April, but COVID-19 and Virgin’s collapse into administration – later rescued by US private equity firm Bain Capital in a $3.5 billion sale – resulted in an almost 12-month delay.

Virgin Australia general manager product and customer Sarah Adam said the launch followed the recent reopening of lounges across all other capital cities apart from Canberra, and coincided with an increase in corporate and leisure travel.

“I think it’s a really important time that we start to invest back into the products that we know will appeal to our regular guests, and especially our frequent flyers,” she said.

“Not having a lounge in one of our capital cities, being Adelaide, it was important for us to get that open.

“We have had to adapt the space, largely making sure we were managing all of the local regulations around social distancing.

“We have had to scale back the number of seats we have in the space at the moment, and then as we get more comfortable and follow the guidelines we’ll be able to relax that.”

Designed by Brisbane firm WMK Architecture, the new lounge will be used as a blueprint for lounge refurbishments in other capital cities.

“It’s a real departure from our previous space – we took inspiration from our Virgin spaces across the globe and we really wanted to bring something that was more relaxed and welcoming for our guests,” Ms Adam said.

“It was also really important for us that we had zones – that our customers could adapt to how they wanted to use the spaces.

“We’ll take inspiration from this space and start to incorporate parts of this design as part of our maintenance and refurbishment plan.”

A new menu includes sandwiches, salads, wraps and healthy snacks prepared on-site, and will be rolled out in all Virgin lounges in the coming weeks.

Virgin is also trialling a food ordering system where guests will be able to order food and drinks directly to their lounge seat or table by scanning a QR code and placing an order on their phone.

Celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary with a trip to Brisbane, Sharon and Lee Zachariah were the first official guests of the new lounge on Tuesday morning.

“I think it’s taken it from a corporate environment to a really welcoming and soft environment,” Ms Zachariah said.

Virgin recently announced new direct services from Adelaide to the Sunshine Coast, which will commence on March 29.

However the airline has suspended all short haul international flights until at least June due to ongoing uncertainty about when international travel can resume.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business ... 8a4053c24e

[Brucetiki]

Rex will be starting twice daily flights between Adelaide and Melbourne from the end of the month.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news ... t-adelaide

[Patrick_27]

I've never really understood why Adelaide Airport management didn't fast-track relocating Qantas Club and Virgin Lounge to a new upper floor, I know this is planned further down the line but doing it now would open up so much floorspace for further retail or ammenities for the international arrivals/departures. Seems really shortsighted that they didn't rectify this in the most recent upgrade...

[rev]

Rex will be starting twice daily flights between Adelaide and Melbourne from the end of the month.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news ... t-adelaide

Surprising to see them add Adelaide before Brisbane. Brisbane-Sydney is the 2nd busiest corridor in Australia after Sydney-Melbourne. Brisbane-Melbourne is 3rd.

Rex $138 Adelaide to Melbourne Return. By comparison Virgin is charging $135 return. Both offer 23kg checked baggage as part of the fare + carry on of 7kg.

Jetstar on the other hand $155 with only 7kg carry on. Checked baggage is extra..which brings the total to $241 return. That's around their normal pricing from memory.
Virgin is typically around the $99 mark there, and depending on the time of day for the return flight can be cheaper then the initial flight or slightly more.

Will be interesting to see what Rex's regular prices will be.

[Stefan P]

Aftrnoon all,

Qantas announced today they will begin Melbourne-Adelaide-New Delhi-Melbourne 4xweekly starting December 22nd, using A330-200's. Adelaide is being used as a fuel stop, however you can book flights between Adelaide and Delhi.

QF69 Dep MEL 0925 Arr ADL 0945
QF69 Dep ADL 1115 Arr DEL 1810
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday)

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news ... chsoOSMMHY

[how good is he]

Not sure how Adelaide can be a fuel stop if flight is only coming from Melbourne?

[ChillyPhilly]

Not sure how Adelaide can be a fuel stop if flight is only coming from Melbourne?

Probably more economical.

[AndyWelsh]

Just while I’m reading the latest updates in this thread, I’d really appreciate it if anyone could share any updates, no matter how small, about Emirates returning to Adelaide if and when they hear it. It’s my most direct route back home to Newcastle in the U.K. so was gutted to see them leave .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rubberman]

Not sure how Adelaide can be a fuel stop if flight is only coming from Melbourne?

The Qantas website lists 8,500kM as the range of the A330-200 with full payload. Since Melbourne to New Delhi is 10,500kM and Adelaide to New Delhi about 700kM less, planes leaving both cities are going to have lots of empty seats...so it might be that the extra fuel taken on in Adelaide makes it worth it.

Just guessing, mind you

[AG]

Also, because of the trade winds which blow from a west to east direction, travelling west takes longer and requires more fuel than flying east. It makes sense that the fuel stop would be required in the Melbourne to New Delhi direction but not the reverse.

It's the same reason why flying Adelaide to Perth takes 3 hours, but only 2.5 hours in the other direction.

[rogue]

The choice of aircraft looks deliberate to test the Adelaide market.

Qantas also have B789 in their fleet which would easily cover the distance direct from Melbourne, although slightly smaller capacity over the A332.

[Stefan P]

The choice of aircraft looks deliberate to test the Adelaide market.

Qantas also have B789 in their fleet which would easily cover the distance direct from Melbourne, although slightly smaller capacity over the A332.

Its not deliberate, its the only aircraft Qantas have available, Qantas have no B787-9's available to use for the route, until their next 3 are delivered in the new year.

The Adelaide stopover is only until April, the route will then go direct MEL-DEL-MEL with the new MTOW configured A330's which will initially operate on Brisbane to Los Angeles.

[PeFe]

Adelaide Airport may host a "space park" in the future.

$20m for new Australian Space Park in Adelaide



Anew Australian Space Park, likely to be situated at Adelaide Airport, has been given a $20 million boost by the South Australian Government, which is pitching it as Australia’s first dedicated space manufacturing hub.

Four companies have already signed up to base manufacturing operations at the Park — Fleet Space Technologies, Q-CTRL, ATSpace and Alauda Aeronautics.

The purpose-built facility will have a focus on collaboration and production of small satellites and their payloads, rockets, electrical vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL), and supporting componentry and technical systems.

Premier Steven Marshall said the state government will contribute $20 million into the Park, which is expected to create approximately 220 skilled space industry jobs within its first two years of operation.

“My Government has unashamedly adapted a pro-growth, pro-economy agenda and transforming South Australia into the undisputed Space State is a key part of future proofing the jobs-economy for our children in the decades to come,” Premier Marshall said.

“The creation of the Australian Space Park signals our commitment to the South Australian and Australian space sector by bridging the gap between research and development and prototyping to production at scale.”

The Premier said that the Hub aligns with Australia’s space strategy, which aims to triple the space sector’s contribution to GDP to over $12 billion per annum and create up to an additional 20,000 jobs by 2030.

Flavia Tata Nardini, Co-Founder and CEO of Fleet Space Technologies, speaking on behalf of the industry consortium, said the Park will not only grow South Australia’s capabilities, but also boost Australia’s growing reputation for industry capability within the global space and advanced aerospace sectors.

“Indeed, we are proud to be part of South Australia’s growing status as a centre of excellence for space technology on the global stage,” Ms Tata Nardini said.

“The opportunity to collaborate with leading minds in our field in a dedicated facility like this will accelerate progress for our entire industry.”

The consortium has identified Adelaide Airport as an ideal location for the Park, given its proximity to traditional aerospace companies, the central business district and Lot Fourteen.

“In addition to our central location, we offer suitable land opportunities both for the hub as well as room for growth and to attract like-minded businesses keen to play a role in the growing space sector,” said Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Mark Young.

https://www.spatialsource.com.au/20m-fo ... -adelaide/

[how good is he]

Any idea where at Adelaide Airport the Space Park will be built? I am thinking the vacant land around the AFL Max maybe...