PPP to become an international airport!

[Deleted member 29185]

I had heard that Proserpine was looking at becoming international for direct produce exports to Asia, but according to the Cairns Post this morning, apparently that is set to be increased to tourism from early next year. Starting with NZ fights, they're looking to secure a deal with one or more of the majors to operate to/from Hong Kong and Singapore as well. They are currently negotiating with Cathay, Air Asia and Scoot.

Big call I'd say. HTI would be the better choice for tourism at least. I have no idea what aircraft they'd use, but I'm wondering how Asian tourists would feel off loading at PPP. It's certainly not the flashiest airport in the region and aesthetically, HTI would win it all hands down.

 

[jb747]

....They are currently negotiating with Cathay, Air Asia and Scoot.

Negotiating? What...they're going to pay the airlines(s) to go there? I'm sure they'd be willing with a guaranteed government buy of a couple of hundred seats per flight.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Negotiating? What...they're going to pay the airlines(s) to go there? I'm sure they'd be willing with a guaranteed government buy of a couple of hundred seats per flight.

I was assuming they would be negotiable with the airport fees. I guess someone must have done the figures and reckon it could work for them. The paper only mentioned charter flights with a mob called Avmin who were bought out last month by Flight Centre so I'm guessing package tours are the target.

 

[Isochronous]

Something similar to the JQ WUH-OOL deal might be possible.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I doubt CX would take a bite at it, although the Scoot dreamliners might be able to make this work, especially since they can get connecting traffic with Tiger to/from SE Asia (and other nearby cities such as HKG).

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I doubt CX would take a bite at it, although the Scoot dreamliners might be able to make this work, especially since they can get connecting traffic with Tiger to/from SE Asia (and other nearby cities such as HKG).

Although having said that, CX recently did that trial cargo flight into Toowoomba. PPP would be ideal for produce but the runway length may be an issue. Package tours may be a little sweetener to make a cargo run work, assuming a pax jet can take quite a load of cargo as well. To be honest, I have no idea. It sounds like a big stretch of the imagination to me, whichever way. How much I wonder, to kit up for international pax? Screening, customs etc?