ARMIDALE Regional Airport will become a regional transport hub after the announcement of a major construction program to modernise the facility and expand its capacity.
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A $6.3 million state government grant was announced for the airport yesterday to increase the size of the terminal building, which is aimed at boosting the number of passengers that come through each year.
It comes after further funding was allocated at the end of last year for the expansion of the airside parking apron to accommodate more aircraft at any one time.
Armidale Regional Council interim general manager Glenn Wilcox said it was hoped the upgrades would increase passenger numbers from 140,000 to 200,000 seats a year, with a bigger terminal also providing the capacity for baggage scanning, a prerequisite if larger passenger aircraft were to start using the route.
The expanded terminal will also include a new cafe and retail area, baggage carousel and more passenger seating.
Yesterday’s announcement also feeds into a bigger vision for the airport, with Armidale Regional Council working on the release of land for a new industrial area and business park, and a large service centre.
Mr Wilcox said as this development grew, it will bolster the case for a new runway to take bigger aircraft and to justify the case for equipment to make instrument-only aircraft movements possible.
Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said the ultimate aim was to create “a modern regional airport at the heart of a manufacturing and transport precinct”.
“As the plan rolls out, those visiting Armidale by air and road will experience a vibrant portal to the region that expresses prosperity and optimism about the future,” he said.
“I commend council for its vision. Not just Armidale, but the whole region stands to benefit from this investment.”
Mr Marshall said the airport precinct development provided a massive opportunity for Armidale to aggressively diversify its economy and reach its potential with new jobs and growth.
“It’s a potential long understood, but, up to this point, never realised,” he said.
Mr Wilcox hopes that tenders for the terminal work will be complete by the end of this year, and the upgrade largely done by the end of 2017.
