Avalon fury over Tulla runway bid

AVALON Airport boss Justin Giddings has lashed out at Tullamarine’s attempt to monopolise air traffic in and out of Melbourne.
Melbourne’s plans for a new $500 million third runway failed to stack up economically, Mr Giddings told the Independent.
A new rail link to service the expanded Melbourne Airport would cost “billions’’ when a modest $150 million spur line to Avalon would service Geelong and Melbourne admirably and more efficiently, he said.
“It seems a bit funny that with all that congestion, all that noise, in Melbourne already that they’re looking at making even more,” Mr Giddings told the Independent.
“Melbourne Airport has been a monopoly airport for 30 to 40 years. We’re the first airport in Australia to challenge a monopoly.”
Melbourne Airport’s boss told a Geelong meeting in September he would try to stop any international airport at Avalon putting “a wobble’’ in Melbourne’s passenger forecasts.
He argued Melbourne’s need for as rail link was greater than Avalon’s.
But Mr Giddings said Melbourne needed two international airports and Avalon posed no challenge.
“We’re not looking to take over Tullamarine – it’s always going to be the biggest in Melbourne,’’ he said.
Avalon was granted international status just weeks ago.
The third runway proposal for Melbourne was first raised four years ago.