THERE was almost a roast on the Tamworth airport tarmac this Christmas.
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It wasn’t the traditional turkey or festive leg of pork or ham sizzling away in the oven.
It was the crews on the ground who felt the heat, with the tarmac temperature climbing to 73 degrees on December 25, according to one crewman.
In tune with a year of growth at the airport, the facility kept on ticking through Christmas and Boxing Day and it was up to the crews on the ground to welcome well-wishers to town and bid bon voyage to the jet-setting bon vivants, despite the soaring temperature.
ON THE CLOCK OVER CHRISTMAS:
Aaron Daley is the leading hand on the ground at Tamworth airport for Virgin Australia flights and he said it was one of the hottest Christmases he’s worked.
He’s been on the clock for the public holiday for the last three years in Tamworth.
“They don’t stop flying,” Mr Daley said.
“It doesn’t matter what day it is, the shifts don’t change.”
While there was only one flight on Christmas Day, it meant Mr Daley had to down tools in the middle of lunch to don the hi-vis vest and festive regalia and get to work.
Mr Daley said there wouldn’t be any jostling to ensure he got the big day off in 2018.
“I’ll probably just work,” he said.
“It depends what days it falls on, but I’ll probably just work.”
He said travel through Tamworth was busiest around Christmas and the country music festival.
A $4 million upgrade of the airport terminal in 2018, Mr Daley said it’s bound to get busier still.
It has been a scorcher underfoot at the airport, but the temperatures in the air are on the way up too.
Tamworth is coming off the back of a record run of hot days this month with the mercury nudging 40 degrees on December 20.
New Year’s Eve revellers in town could be feeling the heat with a top of 35 degrees predicted.
And it look likes 2018 will start merrily on high with the first and second days of January also coming with a top of 35 degrees.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
