APPLICATIONS have closed for the Qantas pilot academy and Tamworth mayor Col Murray is very confident in the submission put forward by council.
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“As we’ve always suggested, we’ve left no stone unturned in this submission to Qantas for the pilot training facility,” Cr Murray said.
“I’m very satisfied to say that council has put together an extremely high-quality document and presented that to Qantas, and also provided a copy to the state government.”
While Qantas has a list of 55 applicants from across regional Australia, The Leader understands the NSW government is coming up with a shortlist of five cities that it would be willing to throw its weight behind through various incentives, such as infrastructure upgrades.
Veteran flight instructor Judy McKenzie, who taught Qantaslink CEO John Gissing to fly, has backed Tamworth’s bid for the Qantas academy to take up residence in the city.
“I think they should get it,” she told The Leader.
Ms McKenzie said Tamworth “ticked all the boxes” for its “facilities, weather, flying conditions” as well as the additional supporting infrastructure and services.
“The infrastructure here is absolutely amazing,” she said. “The facilities we have at the airport already are second to none, I don’t know how anyone could look anywhere else in regional areas.”
Cr Murray said if Tamworth was to land the facility, it would act as another anchor industry to the city’s economy.
“We’ve seen a great example of the economic benefit from the trainee pilots already in our city,” he said.
“Along with that, there is the brand attachment – for a city like Tamworth to have the strength of the Qantas brand located in our city is a big statement.”