A 40 per cent increase in passenger flights at Avalon will put 1.4 million domestic travellers a year on Geelong’s doorstep, Jetstar announced yesterday.
The budget airline said flights from Avalon would rise from 10 to 14 return services daily from April.
The premier Sydney return service would jump from six to nine daily trips, Jetstar said.
Brisbane return flights would increase one a day to three daily services.
Jetstar said the increases would add 8500 seats a week to flights at Avalon.
The airline and Avalon Airport owner Linfox opened a new $4 million passenger terminal yesterday to complement the extra flights.
Jetstar chief executive officer Alan Joyce said the Geelong region would reap a tourism windfall from the big increase in flights.
“This growth in Jetstar services represents even greater travelling convenience, support of tourism and employment at both the airport and through Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula,” Mr Joyce said.
State Government Industry and Trade Minister Theo Theophanous welcomed the extra flights and new passenger terminal.
“This growth will result in an increase in both leisure and business visitors to Victoria, with more interstate visitors using the airport to access the Great Ocean Road through fly-and-drive packages,” Mr Theophanous said.
“It will also provide increased job opportunities, with Jetstar expecting direct employment to exceed 900 by April plus hundreds of additional contract roles.”
Mr Theophanous said Avalon was now confirmed as a “major regional airport”.
Linfox Airports managing director David Fox expected the extra flights to put 1.4 million passengers through Avalon each year.
Around 2.5 million passengers had used Avalon since Jetstar began operations at the airport in 2004, he said.
Mr Fox expected the growth in Avalon flights to continue.
“Our existing and projected growth at Avalon remains ahead of expectations and has reinforced our belief that low-cost air travel can and is being sustainably grown from this facility.”
Linfox is waiting for Commonwealth approval to build a $30 million international terminal at Avalon.