Powercor Geelong Business Excellence Awards sponsor Avalon Airport recently completed the first two years of its 10-year commitment from Jetstar.
Additional destinations since the Jetstar arrangement “have been popular”, says Avalon Airport chief executive Justin Giddings.
Adelaide, Hobart and the Gold Coast are well known holiday destinations, he says, while the proximity of Avalon to the start of the Great Ocean Road “ensures the inbound numbers are strong”.
But patronage of Avalon’s Sydney flights, which are particularly popular among the local business community, is “through the roof,” Mr Giddings declares.
“Avalon to Sydney is quick, easy, and suits the traveller who needs to commute for the day. Actually, the Geelong-to-Sydney commute can be quicker than the Geelong to Melbourne one!”
Avalon Airport prides itself on an easy travel experience, with ‘Flying Made Easy”’ emblazoned across all its branding.
Mr Giddings takes the promise seriously.
“We’ve recently upgraded the terminal with pristine white work benches, mobile device charging ports and free wi-fi.
“We also noticed how many people were using our check in area, so we added a second café there that’s doing really well because it’s functional.
“We want the terminal to be comfortable and useful, and as far as we’re concerned it’s a work in progress.”
The upgrades extend beyond the terminal.
Passengers might notice a smoother ride on the runway due to a recent $10 million overlay.
A new website has been launched, menus updated, furniture refreshed and online parking is in the pipeline, Mr Giddings says.
The arrival of SkyBus is a particularly high-profile recent upgrade. SkyBus Avalon City express launched in February, with the recently added SkyBus Avalon Geelong Express to operate for six months until the completion of a tender process.
On top of all this, an industrial precinct has been launched at the airport, with work on a new Cotton On Group distribution centre commencing in June.
Mr Giddings is forthright when nominating the next big change for Avalon Airport.
“International, definitely,” he says.
“We can’t wait.”
