Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport has officially been designated as an international airport ahead of regular freighter services beginning later in November.
The official designation as a regional international gateway was made on Friday, paving the way for more overseas flights from the airport located just outside Toowoomba about 150km west of Brisbane.
Being a regional international airport means foreign carriers are able to operate to and from Wellcamp without any capacity restrictions under Australia’s bilateral air services agreements, Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said in a statement on Friday.
The government had flagged granting Wellcamp regional international gateway status ahead of the July federal election.
The airport, which owned and operated by private company Wagners, has handled two one-off international flights since it began operations two years ago.
In November 2015, Cathay Pacific operated a Boeing 747-8F freighter service to Hong Kong, while a Qantas charter flight in October 2016 organised by the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) business group carried about 200 delegates to Shanghai to participate in the AccessChina ’16 business event.
Wagners chairman John Wagner said granting Wellcamp regional international gateway status would support efforts to attract more flights to the region.
“We would like to thank the Federal Government and the Department of Infrastructure and Transport for their continued support in realising the potential opportunities that the airport creates for Queensland,” Wagner said.
Cathay Pacific said in October it would start a regular once weekly freighter service linking Wellcamp with Hong Kong from November 22.
Flight schedules showed CX22 operating on a Sydney-Melbourne-Wellcamp-Hong Kong routing with a Boeing 747-8F.
random
says:QAL Townsville needs to look at Wellcamp management- they could learn a few lessons in generating business and working the politics and diplomacy.
Adrian P
says:Smart route.
Hi-tech imports from Hong Kong into Sydney and Melbourne.
Picking up perishables at Wellcamp on the way back to Hong Kong
Russell M
says:I’ll be driving through the Badgery’s Creek area in a couple of weeks. Might take my camera to grab a few pics of the international aircraft. Oh, and a bloody good zoom lens so I can pick them up at 18,000 and climbing……..
I can’t miss the irony of the other main story on the AA page at this very moment – the Federal Govt adds another 40 conditions to the development plan for Badgery’s after another review …………..
http://australianaviation.com.au/2016/11/federal-government-outlines-40-environmental-conditions-for-development-of-proposed-badgerys-creek-airport/
GBRGB
says:Completely agree Random and it highlights the differences in businesses in Australia today, Wellcamp is run by business people who are results driven and ambitious, QAL Townsville is owned by mostly super funds who put in a brain dead management with a compliance mentality, the contrasts are evident already.
deano
says:I can see this developing into more than just a weekly service
If fresh produce is what it’s all about, a weekly service won’t cut it
If produce is moved only on a Monday, for example, come Friday or even Sunday it ain’t none too fresh anymore….
Adrian P
says:The problem is Deano,
Australia digs up stuff, grows stuff but does not make stuff.
Perhaps we should make watches using Australian gold and Australian opal for the faces, low weight high value