New Canberra airport news

[RWJ777]

Canberra Airport gears up for international flights to New Zealand, Singapore and China - Flights | hotels | frequent flyer | business class - Australian Business Traveller

With the new wing nearing completion, I wondered whether the brains trust here knew of any firm plans for international flights to depart Canberra?

Thanks.

 

[markis10]

Yawn, yawn, recycled news. Lets hope NZs flights last longer than the last international services out of CBR, don't think we will see FJ back anytime soon.

So we've got a fully kitted-up airport, you can go anywhere off our runway with a fully-laden aircraft that you can go out of Sydney Airport."

Must be a non pilot with those comments, hot and high departure to DFW in summer anyone?

 

[Skyring]

Must be a non pilot with those comments, hot and high departure to DFW in summer anyone?

Of course, when it is summer in Canberra, it is winter in Sydney. The "high" factor, sure, but only 580m. And just how "fully-laden" is QF7 on a similar departure?

I ask out of interest only. I really can't see more than the occasional international diversion arrival happening in Canberra for a while. We get military and diplomatic flights as routine. Freighters are more likely IMO, but the passenger terminal completion won't help with that.

For every possible international passenger destination - Wellington is sometimes talked about - what's the point? Just take the extra leg up to Sydney and you've got more choice, more competition.

 

[harvyk]

Given they won't have the frequency of SYD or MEL, they really will need to time the flights well. This is not the airport to use planes which are simply sitting around spare at the time (we won't tolerate 1am CBR-AKL flights, we'd prob go via SYD instead), nor is it the airport to use planes which are missing most of the creature comforts which you'd find out of SYD, esp for longer flights like SIN given just how easy it is to go from CBR to SYD, we're already used to doing so.

 

[Justchecking]

Maybe its a secret wish to see CBR as the international terminal for Sydney. :mrgreen: But whats the true resident population of canberra? The pollies are all seasonal, so I cant see a lot of demand from them to fly international direct, especially when the type of international aircraft likely to fly there wont have the treasured levels of comforts required by such personages.

 

[harvyk]

Maybe its a secret wish to see CBR as the international terminal for Sydney. :mrgreen: But whats the true resident population of canberra? The pollies are all seasonal, so I cant see a lot of demand from them to fly international direct, especially when the type of international aircraft likely to fly there wont have the treasured levels of comforts required by such personages.

I'd guess we'd have a realistic feeder area of somewhere around 700,000 people, that includes CBR, the CBR region, and most of southern NSW down to near the border (of course getting down that way MEL starts becoming attractive). Of course you'd need to lose a few people from that number as there are quite a few regional airports which thanks to various regional airlines they have direct SYD services available (a few also have direct MEL services available), so the choice could end up being drive for 2 hours to CBR and get 1 flight per day, or fly direct from say Moruya airport (which does allow international connections, a friend of Dad's has done a flight to JFK starting in Moruya, bags checked and boarding passes issued all the way through) to SYD and get a choice of 10 flights per day.

 

[markis10]

Of course, when it is summer in Canberra, it is winter in Sydney. The "high" factor, sure, but only 580m. And just how "fully-laden" is QF7 on a similar departure?

I ask out of interest only. I really can't see more than the occasional international diversion arrival happening in Canberra for a while. We get military and diplomatic flights as routine. Freighters are more likely IMO, but the passenger terminal completion won't help with that.

For every possible international passenger destination - Wellington is sometimes talked about - what's the point? Just take the extra leg up to Sydney and you've got more choice, more competition.

A 40 degree day at CBR at 1888ft will have an air density of 5973ft with a relative density of 83.66%, by comparison SYD using the same variables but lower elevation will have a density altitude of 3653 ft and a relative density of 89.73%. Depending on the aircraft and load that could mean a runway needs to be 25% longer at CBR than SYD for the same aircraft departure, yets its Sydney that has the 25% longer runway, so I very much doubt the scenario quoted is real in that context.

Pretty good video of an aircraft struggling at CBR here, never seen the same at SYD.

Russian cargo plane needs more runway - YouTube

 

[Skyring]

Pretty good video of an aircraft struggling at CBR here, never seen the same at SYD.

Russian cargo plane needs more runway - YouTube

A classic video - seen it a few times now. Thanks!

Mind you, that's before the runway extensions etc. I was on a PER flight when they were working on the runway and it was effectively shortened while they were jackhammering the other end or something. We took off very light (not helped by my two big bags of books) and had to stop at ADL to refuel .

 

[markis10]

Mind you, Canberra does not have a hill in the middle of its runway like Sydney, that would help.

 

[Shane B]

Mind you, Canberra does not have a hill in the middle of its runway like Sydney, that would help.

Is there a reason for some runways to have a bit of a hill or a hump?

I note that DRW has a definite hump which you can see if you park at the bottom on Amy Johnson Ave.

 

[here2go]

Is there a reason for some runways to have a bit of a hill or a hump?

I note that DRW has a definite hump which you can see if you park at the bottom on Amy Johnson Ave.

DRW's runway doesn't meet current specifications. However, noting there is only one runway capable of handling large aircraft, and there is little desire for a new major airport being built to replace DRW, although there is space down at Weddell south of Palmerston for it, it stays as is.

What may be interesting with CBR opening is the possibility of two-hop flights to Asia on narrow-bodies. SIN or HKG-DRW-CBR? I'm sure there would be other combinations. International checkin in Canberra, and quick turnaround in DRW like JQ does now would save long turnarounds in Sydney.