News & Discussion: Adelaide Airport & Airlines

[Aidan]

It was hinted at on 7 news tonight that Air Asia is looking to possibly add Adelaide to list of destinations. No commitment as yet though...

I was excited when I heard this headline but it wasn't really news. Airasia have had Adelaide on their radar for a few years now. I believe part of the problem is a lack of slots at KLIA- it's basically choccas.

Is there any serious possibility of them flying from somewhere other than KLIA?

[muzzamo]

Is there any serious possibility of them flying from somewhere other than KLIA?

Dunno, no doubt they are looking at all of their options though. I read somewhere that they wanted to build their own airport in KL to handle the traffic but the government knocked them back.

They have basically established a secondary hub in Bangkok and Singapore and a smaller hub in Jakarta, but flying to Singapore would feed traffic to Jetstar and tiger which they probably wouldn't want to do?

Maybe Airasia could start flying Adelaide to Bangkok?

[Ho Really]

China Southern by 2013? Would be nice.

China Southern in growth surge
Michael Bruce

China Southern Airlines has tabled plans to fly to Cairns, Perth and Adelaide by 2013 as the carrier’s senior executive outlined an aggressive growth strategy.

China Southern president and chief executive, Tan Wangeng, met assistant tourism minister Nick Sherry in Brisbane yesterday to discuss further expansion.

The airline commenced nonstop flights between Guangzhou and Brisbane this week and has more than doubled capacity from Australian ports to 24 flights per week.

Sherry said talks centred on adding Cairns, Perth and Adelaide to the network, with additional Brisbane flights also planned. It hopes to have 50 services per week by 2013.

“The plans outlined to me by Mr Tan and his senior management team show a deep commitment to the future of the China-Australian air link,” Sherry said. “The number of visitors from China is expected to more than double over this decade to around 800,000 a year.”

An airline spokesman confirmed the growth targets, adding that Wangeng is also scheduled to meet with tourism minister Martin Ferguson this afternoon to discuss its expansion.

China Southern Airlines will take delivery of its first A380 next year, with observers predicting the aircraft could be deployed to Australia. It currently uses A330-300 and A330-200 aircraft, both of which have been equipped with the new premium economy product.

The spokesman also confirmed Auckland flights are being considered, though it’s unclear when flights might commence.

Travel Today

Cheers

[Ho Really]

In yesterday's Travel Today: Emirates evaluating Adelaide...

Emirates to ask for more capacity
Steve Jones

Emirates is again evaluating the possibility of flying into Adelaide as the carrier indicated it will soon apply for additional Australian capacity from the Gillard Government.

Divisional senior vice president commercial operations worldwide, Richard Vaughan, told Travel Today it is likely to open discussions with Canberra next year for additional rights.

Although Emirates still has around 20 unused frequencies out of 84 available flights, Vaughan said Australia remained a growth market.

“Australian frequencies will grow. The market is strong,” he told Travel Today.

The airline has always had a positive relationship with the Australian Government which has supported the carrier’s growth ambitions, he added.

While its existing ports of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are likely to receive any future additional capacity, Adelaide remains on the radar, Vaughan said.

The carrier will complete another evaluation of the South Australia market at the end of the month, although any immediate entry remains unlikely.

“We evaluate Adelaide every year,” he said, but agreed that existing routes are the likely growth focus. He ruled out Darwin because of its seasonal drawbacks and said the Gold Coast is already served by its Brisbane services.

Meanwhile, Vaughan, in talking up the Australian market, claimed the dropping of the third daily flight to Sydney earlier this year was not due to poor sales, but because the airline needed to free up an aircraft to operate to the US.

Loads remain at 81% or 82%, he said. “Traffic from the Middle East is growing and we are working with Tourism Australia in driving business further,” he said.

Travel Today

Cheers

[bm7500]

Would be great if EK do start flying here. At the moment Virgin Blue 'shuttle' you to Melbourne to join an Emirates flight there rather than going direct from Adelaide. A source at Virgin Blue has said that there are quite a reasonable number of passengers from Adelaide taking the extra leg to Melbourne and the numbers are getting closer to justifing a direct service of our own. Even if it is initially only thrice weekly.

[bm7500]

Adelaide eyes more China air services


Adelaide Airport's general manager says talks are being held with the airline China Southern about establishing permanent services between China and Adelaide.

John McArdle says there is a market in Adelaide for more international air services.

The Federal Government now has approved a $82 million multi-storey car park for Adelaide Airport.

It will cater for up to 2,000 cars and include a plaza.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese says the project will create 600 construction jobs and is expected to be finished in the middle of 2012.

Mr McArdle says more departure gates and increased security will be part of airport upgrade work.

ABC news

[Wayno]

At capacity 6 years ahead of schedule

From AdelaideNow:

CARPARK rage has engulfed Adelaide Airport with touts demanding money for precious parking spots, frustrated drivers hurling abuse, drivers stalking people with luggage, and minor accidents amid the gridlock.

The near-new airport has already outgrown its boundaries, with the short-term carpark at 100 per cent capacity four days a week, forcing staff to direct overflow traffic to the long-term carpark and other niche parking spaces.

Airport officials are well aware of the problem and say they are victims of their own success as low-cost carriers, the mining and defence boom and extra flights to Adelaide mean the 7.1 million annual passengers forecast for the airport in 2017 was reached last year.

Pressure will only mount with Malaysia Airlines increasing its number of weekly flights into Adelaide from Kuala Lumpur from four to six in March 2011, adding a further 29,000 seats into Adelaide each year. Airport officials now are planning a $90 million multi-storey carpark to ease congestion. This week in the carpark the Sunday Mail witnessed:

• * A TOUT banging on car windows amid the gridlock offering car parks for cash;
  * VERBAL abuse as people rowed over who should get a departing car's space;
  * A MINOR crash as one driver reversed to get an outgoing car park, at the same time as another driver accelerated to claim the space.

Adelaide Airport general manager corporate affairs John McArdle said officials were well aware of problems and were working to fix them. "When it is full we have staff directing people to other areas such as the long-term carpark where there are shuttle buses every 10 minutes," he said. "It is a good news story in the sense that the combination of low-cost carriers, more flights, more people linked to defence and mining means we have experienced phenomenal growth.

"The downside is we have outgrown the carpark - but we have a multi-storey carpark planned and tenders have just been invited for its construction."

While the public waits for the new carpark, tempers are wearing thin.

One woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, described behaviour at the carpark on Tuesday morning as "feral". "The place was jam-packed with cars, with drivers having verbal fights over parks," the 44-year-old said. "Motorists were stalking people who were walking back to their cars."

[Norman]

Of course AdelaideNow puts another negative angle on it.

[AtD]

If only there were some other way to get to the airport, like, a really big car with dozens of seats. The government could contract them to run at regular intervals and people could pay a small fee to use it.

[Wayno]

If only there were some other way to get to the airport, like, a really big car with dozens of seats. The government could contract them to run from the city at regular intervals and people could pay a small fee to use it.

Pfft. Will never catch on

Has a study been done to better understand arriving passenger destinations (and departing passenger origins)? Most importantly, what % to/from the CBD? I'd hazard a guess that the majority head to urban households.

[Kasey771]

Of course AdelaideNow puts another negative angle on it.

Yes, of course they do, it sells papers in ADL, allows the fogies to tut-tut to each other over their brekky muesli. But I had to drive to ADL Airport last friday. Late leaving work, no time for PT to get to Tiger before the 45min cut off, I just drove and it took me 30 minutes to find a park at 1:30pm on a Friday.

My question, which of course the 'tiser didn't bother to ask..is sure the tender is out (or going out), but WHEN will the new multi story carpark be built? Surely in a whinge article, the main point is to say "sure its a bit crap now, but you only have to wait x months/years until its fixed, [and think of the construction jobs it wil create]" oops, that last bit would never make it into a tiser whinge article

[monotonehell]

...no time for PT to get to Tiger before the 45min cut off, I just drove and it took me 30 minutes to find a park at 1:30pm on a Friday...

So... perhaps there was time for PT after all

[Ho Really]

MAS adds flights

Malaysia Airlines will offer an additional two weekly non-stop flights from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur from March 27, taking total services on the route to six per week.

Services will be split with three weekly afternoon services ex Adelaide and three morning flights.

Travel Today

Great news. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had announced this earlier in the year. Now it is confirmed we'll have three flights departing in the mornings for people wanting connections into Asia. Hopefully the other three afternoon departures will coincide with the majority of the late evening flights to Europe (and beyond).

Cheers

[ozisnowman]

The Government should also be thinking of a tram route out to the Airport.
Should go down Sir Donald Bradman Drive and then through city up the Parade to Norwood.

[muzzamo]

MAS adds flights

Malaysia Airlines will offer an additional two weekly non-stop flights from Adelaide to Kuala Lumpur from March 27, taking total services on the route to six per week.

Services will be split with three weekly afternoon services ex Adelaide and three morning flights.

Travel Today

Great news. Malaysia Airlines (MAS) had announced this earlier in the year. Now it is confirmed we'll have three flights departing in the mornings for people wanting connections into Asia. Hopefully the other three afternoon departures will coincide with the majority of the late evening flights to Europe (and beyond).

Cheers

So from what i can tell all of their current flights depart Adelaide at 15:30 and arrive in KL at 20:15, on a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

But from march 27, flights will Depart
Sunday, Tuesday, Friday 10:00AM, arriving KL 15:00 and
Monday, Thursday 16:00, Saturday Arriving KL 21:00.

For A flight to London the Monday/Thursday/Saturday flights have a 2 hour and 40 minute stopover whereas the Sunday/Tuesday/Friday flights have a 8 hour and 40 minute stopover. Not a bad improvement for us adelaide folk, gives a good alternative to singapore/qantas