SOME details of Tamworth's deal with Virgin Australia to establish a pilot training academy at the airport might have become clearer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But there is still mystery surrounding the timeline for the project which was announced six months ago.
Last year, Tamworth Regional Council announced Virgin would make the city home to "world-class" training facility.
While it has been lauded as a boon for the city, parties involved have remained tight-lipped about the details surrounding the project including costs and dates.
The partnership was announced in October, but the only major development since then was the council's purchase of the former BAE Systems facilities before Christmas.
READ MORE:
- Tamworth Regional Council Virgin reach final agreement
- Tamworth Regional Council Mayor Col Murray wants Virgin deal sealed by Christmas
- Tamworth Regional Council mayor says Virgin only dealt with Tamworth
- Virgin Australia to set-up pilot training school in Tamworth after Tamworth Regional Council voted on a report regarding the pilot academy
- Tamworth Regional Council, NSW government buy BAE facilities for secret amount
The council wouldn't disclose how much it paid for the facility, but figures in the draft annual operational plan for the next financial year could reveal a bit more about the deal.
The draft plan lists a "pilot training facility" with a operating income of $1,199,300 and operating expenses listed at $1,959,131.
At the time of the purchase, general manager Paul Bennett believed the council would make a return on its investment within the initial 10-year lease.
The state government also chipped-in some funding for the deal.
The amount was also not disclosed.
A spokesperson for Virgin Australia declined to answer any questions from the Leader regarding the timing and cost of establishing Tamworth's academy.
A spokesperson for the airline said it was still early in the piece to be commenting on specifics like timing and cost.
"As the process is only in its early stages it's too soon to provide specific details around timing," she said.
The Leader understands the deal is currently being reviewed by the Foreign Investment Review Board, but it couldn't elucidate details on the project either.
A spokesperson for the Australian Treasury said it couldn't comment on "the application of the foreign investment screening arrangements as they apply or could apply to particular cases".