News & Discussion: Adelaide Airport & Airlines

[Aidan]

I would love for them to remove the curfew completely.
We would see a STACK more international flights coming through Adelaide, because by offering the airlines more choice they can slot Adelaide in at the end of another destination. Think Tokyo->Brisbane->Adelaide or Phuket->Singapore->Adelaide, that sorta thing. We would all have more choices and cheaper airfares to elsewhere in the world.

Tokyo->Brisbane->Adelaide seems unlikely, as (apart from QANTAS) a flight is either domestic or international but not both, and airlines want occupancy to be high on the entire route. That's probably a big part of the reason why BA don't fly here any more.

Phuket->Singapore->Adelaide is slightly more plausible, but considering the time it takes to fly from Singapore to Adelaide, I doubt it will make more sense without a curfew than with one.

It has been pointed out to me that lifting the curfew would result in more interntional flights coming here, not because they could slot Adelaide in at the end of another destination, but because they could slot Adelaide in on the way to another destination: Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington.

[muzzamo]

It has been pointed out to me that lifting the curfew would result in more interntional flights coming here, not because they could slot Adelaide in at the end of another destination, but because they could slot Adelaide in on the way to another destination: Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington.

Yep that all sounds about right

[jk1237]

hehe. Last Sat my Qantas plane was supposed to leave Wellington at 3pm, arrive in Melb at 5.05pm, ready for a connecting flight which was meant to leave Melb at 7.10 and arrive home at 8pm. However Wellington can be rather windy, and quite a windy day it was. Every other airline (Air NZ, jetstar, pacific blue) took off no problems but because Qantas sent over one of their oldest boeing 737s, it was deemed to unsafe to take off compared to the new airbus. Anyway, after a 3 hour delay, the plane was allowed to take off and ironically there was hardly any turbulence on take off.
It meant I missed the connecting flight to ADL, and there were no more for the night (prob due to curfew), so Qantas had to put me up in the 5-star Hilton at Melb airport with free dinner and one mighty awesome breakfast. I was trying to look grumpy, but inside I was grinning ear to ear I even went for a swim in their pool.

so while cursing Qantas, on the other hand thank god it wasn't a low cost airline as I would have had to sleep on the airport floor and buy another ticket home, but having said that, all low cost airlines have brand new planes so the issue might not have happened in the first place

[bm7500]

hehe. Last Sat my Qantas plane was supposed to leave Wellington at 3pm, arrive in Melb at 5.05pm, ready for a connecting flight which was meant to leave Melb at 7.10 and arrive home at 8pm. However Wellington can be rather windy, and quite a windy day it was. Every other airline (Air NZ, jetstar, pacific blue) took off no problems but because Qantas sent over one of their oldest boeing 737s, it was deemed to unsafe to take off compared to the new airbus. Anyway, after a 3 hour delay, the plane was allowed to take off and ironically there was hardly any turbulence on take off.
It meant I missed the connecting flight to ADL, and there were no more for the night (prob due to curfew), so Qantas had to put me up in the 5-star Hilton at Melb airport with free dinner and one mighty awesome breakfast. I was trying to look grumpy, but inside I was grinning ear to ear I even went for a swim in their pool.

so while cursing Qantas, on the other hand thank god it wasn't a low cost airline as I would have had to sleep on the airport floor and buy another ticket home, but having said that, all low cost airlines have brand new planes so the issue might not have happened in the first place

The Qantas branded 737's that fly the Trans Tasman services are operated by Jetconnect New Zealand. These aircraft are NZ based and registered and are basically the old hand me down aircraft from Qantas. The good news (and sorry it comes a bit late for you jk) is that Jetconnect are now starting to get the first of their own brand new 737's that are even fitted with seatback Audio Video On Demand (AVOD) systems. The AVOD systems will also start to be delivered on new Qantas aircraft flown in Australia and will eventually be retrofitted to the remainder of the domestic fleet.

[bm7500]

Sharp expands Adelaide service

REGIONAL carrier Sharp Airlines will look at extending its passenger and fly-in, fly-out services from South Australia if current high demand continues.

The airline yesterday said it was making its Avalon - Portland - Adelaide public passenger service a permanent fixture from next year following a successful trial.

The service launched in October was being trialled until December 24.

The new services had exceeded all expectations and a high level of customer demand had aided the decision to make them permanent, managing director Malcolm Sharp said.

"Forward bookings and sales have been strong for the duration of the Avalon to Adelaide trial and so we are pleased to announce that theses flights will continue indefinitely in the New Year, he said.

Sharp Airlines' South Australian manager Dallas Hay said demand was growing as a result of niche routes - to Port Augusta, Mildura and now Avalon.

"If loadings continue and we continue to receive the support that we have, we would look at extending these services.

The airline has three aircraft in Adelaide and 10 pilots.

Established in 1990 and based in Hamilton, Sharp Airlines also flies between Hamilton, Portland and Melbourne's Essendon Airport, and between Portland and Avalon.

In the past year Sharp Airlines has carried more than 55,000 passengers throughout Victoria and South Australia, and is expecting this number to grow with the new flights.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au

[Splashmo]

I am struggling to understand how there could be a sizeable market of people wishing to travel between Adelaide, Geelong and Portland, but good for them.

[rogue]

ADELAIDE NAMED AUSTRALIA’S BEST CAPITAL CITY AIRPORT

Adelaide Airport has been voted Australia’s Capital City Airport of the Year by its peers at the 2009 Australian Aviation Industry Awards in Sydney. It is the second time Adelaide Airport has won the award in the past four years.

The Australian Airports Association has recognised Adelaide Airport for its “major step forward in industry leadership” and in particular in the area of wildlife management.

The association said it demonstrated “an outstanding example of leadership and support for the benefit of the aviation industry and every Australian airport”.

Adelaide Airport Ltd (AAL) Managing Director, Phil Baker, said the achievement was an outstanding result for the airport and its staff, and in particular for its environmental team.

“Wildlife management, which deals with important issues such as bird strikes, is clearly an important facet of our safety and security management and sustainability initiatives. AAL has worked in collaboration with off airport institutions and local authorities in setting a new benchmark for airports in this area,” Mr Baker said.

“We’ve then made our wildlife management plan accessible, free-of-charge, for all other Australian airports.

“Adelaide Airport Ltd is proud of what we have been able to achieve, both in terms of running an efficient domestic and international airport and through our environment and sustainability initiatives.”

AAL also won the ‘Capital City Airport of the Year’ award in 2006 for being “a terrific gateway for Adelaide and South Australia” and for its “use of new technology and environmentally friendly practices”.

In 2007, Adelaide Airport was named as the world’s second best airport in the 5 – 15 million passengers category by Airports Council International. In 2008 it was voted equal best Australian airport for quality of service by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

Earlier this month AAL also won two awards at the annual Property Council of Australia Shopping Centre Awards for SA in the categories of ‘Retail Property Award for Environmental Innovation’ and ‘Retail Property Award for Excellence in Marketing - Marketing Campaign’.

http://www.aal.com.au/lib/pdf/AdelaideA ... irport.pdf

[chess]

I would love for them to remove the curfew completely.
We would see a STACK more international flights coming through Adelaide, because by offering the airlines more choice they can slot Adelaide in at the end of another destination.

It has been pointed out to me that lifting the curfew would result in more interntional flights coming here, not because they could slot Adelaide in at the end of another destination, but because they could slot Adelaide in on the way to another destination: Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington.

Howdy fellas.
Lucky for us we have Melbourne 700km away with no curfew. This gives us a perfect example of what might happen with no curfew here.

In Melbourne all the Asian airlines with only one flight per day (Korean, Air China etc) arrive between 8am-1pm and depart straight away. The only ones that fly at night are the larger airlines with one midday-ish flight already (Singapore, Cathay etc). This would suggest that lifting the Adelaide curfew would not attract any more Asian carriers, as they prefer to arrive at midday-ish times anyway. In any case, Singapore/Cathay would more likely increase capacity from A330s to 777-300s before any new airlines arrived from Asia.

The two airlines that fly one flight per day from Melbourne to Los Angeles are United and V Australia; these arrive and depart at about the same times as the Asian airlines. Regardless, most US traffic goes through Sydney, and the AUS-US market is flooded atm; there is zero chance of a Adelaide-LA flight, curfew or not.

This leaves Middle East traffic. Etihad flies one flight to Melbourne a day, this arrives at 7.15pm and leaves at 11.15pm. Qatar Airways is about to begin a daily Melbourne flight (first one arrives on Sunday) this arrives at 9.55pm and departs at 11.25pm. These times mean the plane leaves the Middle East around midnight, after the evening flights arrive from Europe, and arrives back in the Middle East around dawn, in time to connect with the morning flights to Europe.

The best time for Middle East airlines to land in Adelaide is obviously in the evening, departing after the current curfew begins. The removal or reduction of the current curfew might significantly increase the likelihood of a Middle Eastern airline flying direct to Adelaide.

Emirates Airline has been expanding like crazy for years and would be the obvious candidate for a Middle Eastern airline flying to Adelaide. Emirates flies to nineteen European destinations (Vienna, Nice, Paris, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, Athens, Milan, Rome, Venice, Moscow, Zürich, Istanbul, Birmingham, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Newcastle); in comparison Singapore serves eleven, Qantas two, Malaysia six and Cathay four.

Given that the Etihad plane sits in Melbourne for four hours, Etihad might also serve a curfew-free Adelaide, running Abu Dhabi - Adelaide - Melbourne - Abu Dhabi. They'd only have to move from an A340-500 to a A340-600.

With the 700km less to travel and 30min time difference between Adelaide and Melbourne, the curfew would only have to be reduced to midnight-6am to allow this to happen.

Fingers crossed!

Chess

[bm7500]

Thanks for your insight Chess and welcome to the forum

[bm7500]

New QantasLink for Adelaide-Port Lincoln route

A MODERN 74-seat aircraft will be used by QantasLink on the Adelaide-Port Lincoln route from February.

The airline will run two to four flights a day each way - 23 return services a week - using a Bombardier Q400 plane.

It means a handful of new jobs in Adelaide as QantasLink establishes a crew base for the new Port Lincoln service.

The Q400 is a turbo-prop twin-engine plane known for its quietness. It will easily be the largest regional aircraft serving regular scheduled passenger routes within South Australia. It has a 2.5m internal cabin width and the plane is nearly 33m long with a 28m wingspan.

"We are very pleased to offer the people of Port Lincoln our premium product," said QantasLink executive manager Narendra Kumar.

The new services will start on February 15.

Qantas will feed into the Port Lincoln flights from its extensive national and international services to Adelaide Airport.

The temporary shelving of the Spencer Gulf vehicle-and-passenger ferry and the long road drive from Adelaide to Port Lincoln has helped bring the need for a new airline service although Rex already flies frequently on the route..

QantasLink went off the Port Lincoln route in June 2006 citing lack of passenger demand on the then smaller, slower aircraft.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au

Good news indeed. And the Bombardier Q400 is one of the better turbo props: http://tinyurl.com/y9vfe3p

[skyliner]

Just read on the Border Watch (Mount Gambier) that if the Pt Lincoln set up works, Qantas will look into a MG link as well. More business for Adelaide airport also.

SA- STATE ON THE MOVE

[frank1]

Airport's $310m car free zone

December 11, 2009 12:01am

ADELAIDE Airport will undergo a $310 million development - partly to comply with new anti-terrorism standards that demand cars be kept away from terminals.

Drop-off and pick-up points for vehicles will be moved to a section of a new multi-storey carpark north of the terminal.

The federal Office of Transport Security has introduced regulations requiring no vehicle be allowed within 70m of a terminal.

This was in response to the 2007 attack on Scotland's Glasgow Airport, in which a Jeep Cherokee loaded with propane gas canisters was driven at the glass doors of the terminal and set alight.

Under the changes, Adelaide passengers, friends and family will have to walk an extra 70m to the terminal.

"We're planning major works to upgrade our road systems, carpark and for new security measures," Adelaide Airport Ltd corporate affairs manager John McArdle told The Advertiser yesterday.

HAVE ANTI-TERRORISM SECURITY MEASURES GONE TOO FAR? Have your say in the poll to the right of this page and in the comment box below.

He said the plans would be for a new pedestrian plaza that could include al fresco eating areas and a new, controlled-atmosphere display building for the historic Vickers Vimy aircraft.

Mr McArdle said planners also could include a second airport access road for the public, in order to relieve pressure on the existing single access road at peak times.

Yesterday morning, the airport's main carpark was full and dozens of drivers circled looking for a place to park.

Mr McArdle said the new multi-storey carpark would cause some people to walk a further 70m, but would be closer for people currently parking at the eastern extremity of the existing carpark.

Adelaide Airport Ltd will borrow to pay for the development, which is due for completion in five to six years. It would recoup the money through car parking charges and leasing of new retail sites.

The main Adelaide Airport passenger terminal, T1, opened four years ago, needs to be expanded as it is already experiencing passenger numbers originally predicted for 2013-2014.

Proposals include knocking down the original international terminal to allow room for regional carrier Rex to relocate there. Aircraft bays used by Rex, at T1's eastern end, would be opened for heavier jets used on interstate routes.

The proposed development is estimated at $310 million - compared with the $260 million spent on creating T1.

Adelaide Airport Ltd hopes to have its development plans out for public comment early next year.

Yesterday, the airport put on display in its luggage collection area a 1/10-scale model of the Vickers Vimy.

The model was made by aviation enthusiast Arthur Robertson and presented by his widow, Eileen.

It was 90 years ago yesterday that Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith arrived in Darwin after flying the Vickers Vimy from England.

[Splashmo]

Just read on the Border Watch (Mount Gambier) that if the Pt Lincoln set up works, Qantas will look into a MG link as well. More business for Adelaide airport also.

SA- STATE ON THE MOVE

I like that they're back and apologise for being a cynic, but if it didn't work a couple years ago why will it work now?

[Briggzy_03]

The proposed development is estimated at $310 million - compared with the $260 million spent on creating T1.

T1 only cost $260 million, I thought it was a lot more then that?

The cost for redistribution of the carparks seems...excessive.

[bm7500]

Just read on the Border Watch (Mount Gambier) that if the Pt Lincoln set up works, Qantas will look into a MG link as well. More business for Adelaide airport also.

SA- STATE ON THE MOVE

I like that they're back and apologise for being a cynic, but if it didn't work a couple years ago why will it work now?

It should have a better chance at working now as they are using brand new Bombardier Dash8 Q400 aircraft rather than the old Dash8 100/200 series aircraft that Qantaslink have now retired. These aircraft are more efficient, quieter, faster, more comfortable and more economical for the airline. What the article doesnt state is that Qantaslink already operate into Adelaide with their thrice weekly Kalgoorlie Boeing 717 service.