Hrdlicka, who stepped down from Virgin last month, will receive a fixed remuneration of $2 million per year when she succeeds current chief executive Ari Mervis on 1 January. As CEO of Endeavour, she will oversee a large portfolio of licensed hotels, as well as liquor brands such as Dan Murphy’s and BWS.

The new Taxiway Foxtrot, billed as Launceston’s “biggest airfield upgrade in more than 60 years”, is slated for completion in late spring ahead of the peak summer freight season. It will be able to accommodate heavier aircraft than current Boeing 737s, including the Airbus A321.

Flights with Emirates’ new Airbus A350-900ULR variant, which can stay in the air up to 15 hours, will launch on the EK440/441 Adelaide-Dubai service from 1 December, or earlier if the first of the planes comes sooner.

The airport, New Zealand’s fourth busiest, will extend its terminal north by 800 square metres towards the airfield to provide new office space for Air New Zealand, Planebiz, and the Aviation Security Service, with the NZ$12 million project expected to be completed in 2027.