AVV: D7 commencement and potential

[Melburnian1]

If my dates are correct, this Wednesday 5 December 2018 sees the commencement of AirAsiaX flights into and out of AVV rather than MEL.

Has anyone been down to AVV (such as when using a JQ flight) and observed the new international airport area for passengers? Is there a small airside cafe? Does it have electronic processing for passengers arriving and departing, or just manual processing by Australian Border Force personnel?

Given one assumes MEL offers incentives to new airlines considering servicing Victoria, or perhaps incentives to keep existing ones there, do AFFers believe AVV will be able to attract more international carriers - JQi, 5J are two I can think of - or is the 55 kilometre road distance via the often congested West Gate Bridge too far for Melburnians who reside in the eastern, inner south and southeast suburbs, thus making AVV unattractive to half the population of Melbourne?

 

[sirlegend]

As someone who has to travel from the South East of Melbourne to have to get to either airport, i'm not opposed to using Avalon. My only proviso (& I think it's been mentioned in another thread) is potential peak hour traffic. I wouldn't for example be too keen on trying to make a weekday 7.30PM flight out of AVV (jetstar or Air Asia) - 11.30am however would be fine*.

*actual flight times not known

The slightly longer travel time from my house is however for me more than made up for by not getting caught in the traffic bollocks @ Tulla. Not having to deal with the cost of parking @Tulla (or even just finding a spare parking spot!), Not having to deal with checkin counter queues @Tulla. Not having to deal with customs queues (in or out) @Tulla. Not trying to make your way through 15,000 people going in 100 different directions all at the same time etc...

On the downside - there are more speed cameras on the road to AVV than Tulla..., and the coffee was average last time i was there (domestic)

If they ever get the train to AVV sorted I reckon those problems will go away as well...

 

[Melburnian1]

sirlegend, can you see AVV ever being successful at attracting more international airlines than just D7?

 

[sirlegend]

I have heard murmours that a chinese based airline is seriously considering making the move, and that JQ will shortly commence an NZ service - Both I believe are waiting for AVV to open & maybe settle down for IntOp before locking into it - possibly to avoid burning bridges with Tulla in the meantime.

Wouldnt surprise me if Scoot were sniffing around as well... LCC's must really hate having to factor in the costs involved in flying into Tulla, so any cost reduction is going to be good for them (& thats possibly more of a motivating factor to them than which airport they make pax travel to!)

Cant see much demand for US based services out of there, but Asia & onwards to Europe via one of a number of hubs - for sure.

 

[AIRwin]

JQi B787 flights?

 

[docjames]

Extensive coverage in the Geelong Advertiser today. Headline touting ~500k pax in first year.

Opening ceremony yesterday, with coverage on multiple news channels. Short versions available on social media.

Positioning as "leisure airport" seeking flights to HNL, DPS, NAN etc.

Edit: SIN and NZ named as additional possibilities (not NAN). Want 2-3 million pax within 10yrs and largely origin-destination travel

 

[Melburnian1]

D7 A333s have 377 seats (although a few may be sectioned off for crew rest?)

This means about 275000 seats in each direction per annum from the two daily flights each way, so 550000 in total.

Therefore, at high seat occupancy, 500000 is achievable. This really is 'double counting': a better measure is 250000 outwards passengers, but airports love to exaggerate.

In September, 76 per cent of AirAsiaX's seats to Oz were occupied while 76.5 outbound had a passenger in them.

 

[dajop]

On the traffic piece the D7 flights should be OK. Evening arrivals, late evening departures - tick - shouldn’t expect any traffic of note. Mid morning departure (10:30am) should be OK, traffic can be heavy outbound but nothing like the other direction. 8:20 or 9:20 arrival ... this may hit the tail of peak traffic heading into MEL. For those coming from south east, from the Bolte Bridge exit, AVV is about 15-20 mins extra driving (in non peak) vs MEL.

Of course if flights were timed with the peak direction of traffic could be different. Also there is no Plan B if there’s an incident on the freeway.

As we regularly travel from SIN to surf coast, I’d be happy enough to use Scoot if they flew to AVV, as long as car rental companies didn’t price gouge ...

 

[docjames]

If coming from south east, once through the domain tunnel, outbound traffic in am usually easy going (heavy but moving at speed limit). Coming up Nepean highway or along dandenong rd, same deal once on at Kingsway.

Nil issues really if already placed in the west as outbound Princes Fwy/WG Fwy nil dramas. Trip from MEL AP usually fine once off WRR and even then is WRR usually OK barring major bingle (which occurs all too frequently unfortunately) with occasional congestion as those heading inbound try and merge to WG Fwy.

So i think the timings are quite good from a heading to AVV road traffic point of view.

 

[Wanderlust_tim]

It would have to be a very, very good deal for mine. Living in the Eastern Suburbs the journey is an extra 45 kilometres and 25 minutes in smooth traffic for me.

 

[dajop]

It would have to be a very, very good deal for mine. Living in the Eastern Suburbs the journey is an extra 45 kilometres and 25 minutes in smooth traffic for me.

AVV not good for those living in eastern or northern suburbs, and particularly the north eastern suburbs. But for those in west it's not too bad, and for those in the south east (who would travel in via Domain Tunnel or Kings Way), the difference is 29km/20min ... well at least for the evening D7 departure, where traffic is likely to be fine.

I actually think AVV is better suited (as an alternative to MEL) for longer international travel, than for domestic travel. For international travel the difference in travel time is much lower as portion of overall trip time (... a KUL journey is going to take at least 11 hrs door to door, so an extra 20-30 mins would be less significant than a SYD trip which might only take 3 hrs door to door). Also for international travel, most are likely going longer, and more likely to park in long term car park or offsite at MEL, so the time taken to do that, could well neutralise the extra travel time to get to AVV. If relying on taxi though, MEL would be much cheaper!

 

[sirlegend]

Im sitting at the 30km/20 minute difference assuming a hypothetical required 9.30 airport arrival time tomorrow.
However, I was at Tulla @ 8.30am this morning. I spent 20 minutes travelling the last 150 meters to get into the main carpark, and almost got into a brawl with a taxi driver, who apparently thought he could drive where he liked because of his plates... I know thats not usual (for most of the day anyway) but i also know how i would rather have spent that 20 minutes...

 

[docjames]

Now some suggestion an airport hotel the next offering. Not sure that’s a great idea - at only 20m into Geelong CBD that’s a better location (with shuttle) than on site. Note Holiday Inn already committed to build in Geelong cbd.

 

[Melburnian1]

Now some suggestion an airport hotel the next offering. Not sure that’s a great idea - at only 20m into Geelong CBD that’s a better location (with shuttle) than on site. Note Holiday Inn already committed to build in Geelong cbd.

And Rydges Geelong operating as well.

Airport hotels all the rage but they must need a minimum number of flights a day to do well. Apparently the Atura Hotel at Adelaide Airport (same locally owned group as Rydges) won't break even initially (but as time goes on, flights increase and its presence is better known, it probably will turn a profit).

 

[dajop]

Now that his airline has switched airports, maybe Tony Fernandes can invest in a Tune Hotel at AVV?

 

[Franky]

As someone who has to travel from the South East of Melbourne to have to get to either airport, i'm not opposed to using Avalon. My only proviso (& I think it's been mentioned in another thread) is potential peak hour traffic. I wouldn't for example be too keen on trying to make a weekday 7.30PM flight out of AVV (jetstar or Air Asia) - 11.30am however would be fine*.

*actual flight times not known

The slightly longer travel time from my house is however for me more than made up for by not getting caught in the traffic bollocks @ Tulla. Not having to deal with the cost of parking @Tulla (or even just finding a spare parking spot!), Not having to deal with checkin counter queues @Tulla. Not having to deal with customs queues (in or out) @Tulla. Not trying to make your way through 15,000 people going in 100 different directions all at the same time etc...

On the downside - there are more speed cameras on the road to AVV than Tulla..., and the coffee was average last time i was there (domestic)

If they ever get the train to AVV sorted I reckon those problems will go away as well...

Just what I like - telling it like it is...

 

[Melburnian1]

Now that his airline has switched airports, maybe Tony Fernandes can invest in a Tune Hotel at AVV?

Since the split/change with Red Planet in c.2015, Tune seems low profile.

 

[moa999]

Any update on the rail link to Avalon?

 

[AIRwin]

Positioning as "leisure airport" seeking flights to HNL, DPS, NAN etc.

Edit: SIN and NZ named as additional possibilities (not NAN). Want 2-3 million pax within 10yrs and largely origin-destination travel

Future flights between AVV and BKK/DPS:
AirAsia becomes first international airline to operate at Melbourne’s Avalon Airport

 

[Melburnian1]

DPS is a logical destination because of its appeal to all classes of Australians.

Whether it is oversupplied ex MEL at present is a good question. Wouldn't D7 have to use fifth freedom rights to fly AVV - DPS - KUL or similar?