Whitsunday Coast Airport has delivered its best quarterly result on record during for the 1st quarter of the 15/16FY, facilitating over 92,000 passengers for the first time with all airline partners experiencing an average load factor of greater than 79%.
The airport overall enjoyed an 82% load factor demonstrating the strong demand for the Whitsundays as a destination.
This is an increase of 26.5% or 20,000 passengers on the previous year and well and truly exceeds the previous record quarter of just over 72,000 passengers. The result comes on the back of the 2014/15 financial year with 282,500 passengers utilising the facility and delivering an increase of 16.7% on the previous year, with another record year well and truly forecast again.
Mayor Jennifer Whitney said through strategic planning and route development, the continued growth potential of the Whitsunday Coast Airport is not only evident, but is now being realised.
“Over the past 4 years, the Strategic and Operational Plan for our airport has delivered upon the growth path it had set forward. As the airport owner and operator Council has continued its strategic planning through the delivery of the Airport Masterplan and Feasibility Study as well as the recent expression of interest process. The result in 1st quarter of this financial year holds true to our growth projections,” Mayor Whitney said.
“Growth is forecast to continue at a double digit rate due to the strength of the introduction of direct Jetstar Melbourne services and increases in direct Sydney services via Tigerair,” she said.
“The Whitsunday Coast Airport is one of the most significant pieces of infrastructure in the Whitsunday region to drive economic and tourism growth in the future,
“Council’s plan to develop the Whitsunday Coast Airport International Export Hub is one of our key strategic priorities as it will secure the future prosperity of our region,
“Congratulations for a result such as this must go to our airline partners, ground handlers, transport providers, all stakeholders and airport staff for all their hard work during the record month.”
A result of the continued and sustained growth, the Whitsunday Coast Airport departure lounge expansion project was recently finished and we are looking to more announcements of growth and capacity arrangements in the near future.
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Lisa Maher, Communications Officer
Phone: 07 4945 0204, 0408 713 243 or Email: lisa.maher@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au