Avalon is poised to become Melbourne's second international airport

[anchew]

Avalon is poised to become Melbourne's second international airport after the Australian and Philippines governments cleared the way for direct flights in and out of there.
The breakthrough agreement is also said to have catapulted Melbourne well ahead of Sydney as the two cities vie to be the first with two international airports.
Australia and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding on Friday that a Philippines airline could fly directly between Manila and Avalon airports once a day.

Airport set to fly into the big time

So Avalon is to have international flights before Canberra!

 

[whatmeworry]

In terms of traffic Melbourne is more important then Canberra. Seriously what is population of Canberra?

More Importantly how does MEL (All airports) have more air options then SYD (One airport)?

 

[medhead]

Istr CBR has had international flights in the past, even if they don't now. As such Avalon couldn't claim to have international flights first.

 

[markis10]

Not sure why we are on the subject of Canberra, or how Melbourne has more options than Sydney, as the article does not mention either subject in that context, only the fact Melbourne is the first to have two international airports for RPT ops. Feel somewhat blessed to be living in SEQ where we have three within an hours drive of home .

 

[AIRwin]

Wonder if AirAsiaX will move to AVV when/if that happens?

 

[drewbles]

Istr CBR has had international flights in the past, even if they don't now. As such Avalon couldn't claim to have international flights first.

Avalon has plenty of international flights, just no sched pax flights (the F1 cars are all freighted in to AVV and the like, so it's not like it hasn't had international flights).

As for which was first, i'm assuming it was CBR.

 

[medhead]

The OP made the comparison with CBR.

Avalon has plenty of international flights, just no sched pax flights (the F1 cars are all freighted in to AVV and the like, so it's not like it hasn't had international flights).

As for which was first, i'm assuming it was CBR.

Well I was referring to scheduled services. Apparently, air pacific offered international flights in 2004.

 

[toowongman]

AVV might have a chance at a decent rail link as well

Avalon Airport Rail Link | Department of Transport

 

[Hvr]

AVV might have a chance at a decent rail link as well

Avalon Airport Rail Link | Department of Transport

Looks like they've outfoxed MEL AP.

 

[toowongman]

Looks like they've outfoxed MEL AP.

... touché

 

[stewiejp]

Parking's cheap as well, betcha that goes up if/when it expands, and it's not as far from Melbourne as one may think. In fact I'd argue at times it is closer as far as time goes, than Tullamarine. I live about half way between the two, and Avalon takes about half the time to get to due to traffic etc.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Parking's cheap as well, betcha that goes up if/when it expands, and it's not as far from Melbourne as one may think. In fact I'd argue at times it is closer as far as time goes, than Tullamarine. I live about half way between the two, and Avalon takes about half the time to get to due to traffic etc.

The parking has already increased a lot from when JQ first started ops there. I wouldn't consider it 'cheap', 2 days is $49 so not a bargain at all. It's more expensive than most off-site airport parks with shuttle buses at tullamarine.

 

[stewiejp]

Not surprising - I wonder of a few of the farmers will set up off-site parking there.

 

[whatmeworry]

Remember when parking at Avalon was free?

 

[drewbles]

Not surprising - I wonder of a few of the farmers will set up off-site parking there.

Time to start a long-term parking lot out there?

 

[Melburnian1]

Cebu Pacific (5J) will not fly daily: my guess is three or at most four days a week. The flights should start about mid 2014, maybe June but it will presumably depend on construction of customs and immigration facilities. Its first longhaul A330 is being used on MNL - DXB commencing in October 2013.

Like Philippine Airlines, it is not well known among non-Filipinos in Australia but both have a growing international presence (though in the case of PR, still not as much as prior to the Asian financial crisis, as that airline used to fly to LHR and so on).

Cebu Pacific's pricing will have to be attractive, but in its favour is how it has lots of connecting flights to other Asian ports as well as within Philippines and that the Filipino economy is doing extremely well: boom time, though for how long is the question.

It'll be a squeezy ride with more than 400 seats in an A330 (economy class only).

The jury is out as to whether Cebu Pacific will have a lasting presence in Oz; likewise, there's no sign yet of any other international (scheduled passenger flights) airline wanting to join Cebu Pacific down at Avalon, which is about 55 kilometres southwest of Melbourne's CBD: roughly Emu Plains distance from Sydney.

 

[Catweazle]

I live pretty much across the highway, so I could just walk on over with a shopping trolley like they did in The Castle! :mrgreen:

 

[markis10]

I live pretty much across the highway, so I could just walk on over with a shopping trolley like they did in The Castle! :mrgreen:

You could buy the castle for around $650K according to its valuation and walk to Tulla!

Property Profile Report - 3 Dagonet Street, STRATHMORE VIC 3041 - onthehouse.com.au

 

[Blinky]

I would have rather seen a second airport in the south-east. Both Avalon and Tullamarine draw on the same catchment.