Regional support drives Newcastle Airport to another record
The Hunter, Northern NSW and Central Coast have once again thrown their collective support behind Newcastle Airport, with 1.284 million passengers travelling through the airport in the 2019 calendar year - a new record and a 1.5% increase on 2018.
Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock said it was very encouraging to see year-on-year growth as the airport strives to connect its region to more destinations, both domestic and international.
"I think our recent growth is very much a reflection of our region," Dr Cock said.
"Newcastle Airport is part of a strong, vibrant and diverse regional economy with a real propensity to fly. It's also a great place to visit for those living interstate and overseas.
"As a result, we've seen airlines start to approach us recently with a view to connecting our region to new international destinations. That's a great sign for local people wishing to travel and fantastic for the visitor economy, which has done it tough in recent months.
"Our airport also offers a relatively stress-free environment, with fewer queues and a sense that your holiday or work trip can start a little earlier than what it might at a busy airport like Sydney.
"Importantly, we think there is a lot of potential growth yet to be realised. We have a bold vision for the airport, which includes improvements to both the runway and the terminal.
"This upgrade will unlock billions of dollars in economic potential and represents a once in a generation opportunity for a region with a greater GDP than Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory," Dr Cock said.
The record 2019 calendar year included the airport's busiest ever month in October, when 118,896 passengers passed through the airport.