2 weeks Ago By Alanna Tomazin
NEWCASTLE Airport's first aerobridge is in place, marking the facility's final stretch to international status, the airport said. Login or signup to continue reading The 31-tonne, 20-metre-long aerobridge is now installed, and will allow passengers to board and disembark directly from the terminal, protecting them from outside elements, the airport said in a statement on Wednesday. Interim CEO Andrew Warrewnder said the bridge's installation was a defining moment for the project.
"We're on the cusp of something extraordinary - a future where Newcastle Airport serves as a true global gateway for our region, and the aerobridge arriving was a physical exclamation point pointing to exciting times of growth ahead," he said. The airport's new terminal is scheduled for completion by August and is undergoing multiple works, including a new baggage carousel and key terminal finishes, the statement said. This month, a substation will be energised, powering the entire terminal with a 1236-panel solar system in one of the car parks, it said.
A new complete sprinkler fire system, a landscaped forecourt, a car rental building and line marking and landscaping of Williamtown Drive were also under way, the airport said, adding a fit-out of the arrivals cafe was happening. Announcements on food and beverage options could be expected soon, it said. It comes after an ongoing investigation by the Newcastle Herald revealed the airport had been diverting millions in unbudgeted cash reserves to prop up its burgeoning property-development arm.
It reported a loss of $1 million last financial year and unsuccessfully worked on secret plans with the councils for two years to access a financial bailout of up to $40 million of ratepayer funds . The airport has repeatedly denied financial problems and has taken aim at the Herald's reporting, calling it inaccurate, but has failed to respond to repeated requests to specify the inaccuracies. Much of the Herald's reporting is based on the airport's own internal reports and airport staff.
The Herald stands by its reporting by Walkley Award-winning journalists. Councillors at both Port Stephens and Newcastle councils, who jointly own the aiport, have supported the airport's operations. A unanimously-supported Port Stephens Council mayoral minute last year acknowledged the "work of Newcastle Airprot in the once-in-a-generation expansion" and recognised "the prudent management by the airport in the context of universal rising costs pressures for major infrastructure expansion projects".
Newcastle councillors last month also unanimously supported a motion acknowledging the "critical role of the airport" in the region and saying "as a 50 per cent shareholder, the growth and prosperity of Newcastle Airport is essential to the City of Newcastle's Long-Term Financial Plan". The motion also acknowledged the airport's "prudent and measured approach to the ongoing management of operating and administration costs". You can read both of the motions in full below.
Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.
[email protected] Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education.
She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.
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