Zephyrnet Logo

Sunshine Coast predicts 1.5m travellers as Air New Zealand returns

Date:

Craig Murray shot this Air New Zealand A320neo, ZK-NHB

Sunshine Coast Airport has forecast 1.5 million travellers for 2022-23 as Bonza ramps up operations and Air New Zealand prepares to resume its seasonal flights to Auckland.

The direct Auckland flights – the only international service from Sunshine Coast Airport – will start on 25 June and operate three times per week, on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, until the end of October.

This 16-week season is longer and features more flights than in previous years, with 2022 seeing two flights a week for three months.

“Air New Zealand is really voting some real confidence in this market, and we look forward to them expanding their services in the years ahead,” said Scott Norris, the airport’s general manager of aviation and commercial.

Using an Airbus A320neo aircraft, the route is estimated to add 16,000 seats between Auckland and Noosa over the season. Tourism Noosa Acting CEO Susan Ewington called it a “milestone” for Sunshine Coast Airport.

“New Zealand had cemented itself in the top two international markets for Noosa, spending around $25m in the region each year [before COVID], so we’re looking forward to welcoming Kiwi visitors back to our beaches and river, to the food and wine scene, and on tours,” she said.

Sunshine Coast Airport has seen a boost in significance since the launch of low-cost carrier Bonza, which flies point-to-point services between smaller regional airports and uses the Sunshine Coast as its hub. Bonza has spun up four Sunshine Coast routes so far, flying to the Whitsundays, Mackay, Avalon, and Townsville, after receiving the green light from CASA in January.

According to Norris, Sunshine Coast Airport has expanded rapidly since the end of COVID-19 restrictions.

PROMOTED CONTENT

“It’s one of the fastest-growing airports in Australia,” he said. “This year, we’re forecast to have 1.5 million people flying through this airport on our existing airline partners, plus new services from Bonza.

“It’s just really making this a wonderful airport to connect through and to connect more people in our region to other regional areas in Australia.”

Sunshine Coast Airport completed a new north-west/south-east runway suitable for larger aircraft like the Airbus A330 and Boeing 787 in June 2020, amid an ongoing expansion.

The airport – operated under a 99-year lease from Sunshine Coast Council – estimates that once completed, the expansion will support 1,300 direct jobs and inject up to $396 million annually into Queensland’s economy.

spot_img

Latest Intelligence

spot_img