Builders have been busy at Hamilton Airport, with construction underway on a $5 million refurbishment of its northern passenger terminal, as the airport prepares to welcome its first international flight in 13 years.
Jetstar’s direct flights between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast will launch on 16 Jun, and HLZ chief executive Mark Morgan says the terminal refurbishment is running to schedule, and that he’s confident the airport will be well ready to go by the time the first JQ flight from SYD arrives.
. . . Progress
So far, the airport company has installed two x-ray screening machines, feeder belts, a body scanner and other screening equipment into what will become the international departure hall, something which required a crane and the temporary removal of some of the roof, with construction crews pulling an all-nighter so as to not disrupt flights.
“It was a tight, logistical exercise involving builders, roofers, crane operators, air conditioning contractors and our own team and it went well,” says Morgan.
The airport is now waiting on the installation of the baggage carousel, currently being shipped to New Zealand from India.
JQ will offer three return flights per week between HLZ and OOL, and four return flights per week between HLZ and SYD. These will be the first Australian flights operating to and from HLZ since Virgin Australia’s flights to Brisbane, which operated for some 18 years to 2012.
Air New Zealand subsidiary Freedoon Air also operated services ex HL from 1995 through until 2008, to Tasman points including Brisbane, Sydney, the Gold Coast and Melbourne.
Morgan says the return of international flights has been hard, complex work, in a very sensitive commercial environment and the airport is thrilled to have pulled this off.
“The benefits for the entire region —not just passengers—are huge,” he quips. “Analysis indicates the flights will boost the regional economy by about $45 million per year.”
