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Feature: Canberra Airport aims for more int'l routes

Xinhua, April 3, 2016 Adjust font size:

Canberrans flocked to the airport to catch a closer look at about 20 aircraft, civilian and military, on the Canberra Airport Open Day on Sunday.

City roads leading to the airport experienced unusual heavy traffic even for a busy working day since Sunday morning as the quiet city welcomed one of its biggest public events.

The highlight of the day for many aviation enthusiasts was the 17-minute formation aerobatic display performed by the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF) Roulettes.

Some 30,000 people attended to event, a 25 percent rise on the attendance figure for the last open day two years ago.

Another big difference from two years ago is that Canberra Airport will become a truly international destination as Singapore Airlines announced in January this year that it would be starting a Singapore-Canberra-Wellington service, dubbed the "Capital Express" route, in September.

This will become Canberra's first permanent international air service.

While Canberrans are still getting used to the idea of going abroad directly without stopping in Sydney, Melbourne or other major capital cities, the airport management has begun planning for something further and bigger.

Canberra Airport is scheduled to have a talk with China Eastern Airlines for possible direct flight linking China and Australia's Bush Capital, airport managing director Stephen Byron told Xinhua.

Byron is scheduled to visit Shanghai in April during the Australian Week in China and have a meeting with representatives of the China Eastern Airlines for a possible route linking a Chinese city to Canberra. He would also talk with China Southern Airlines as well.

Being confident of the capital city's rich and unique tourism resource, Byron said it would be "very probable" that Canberra Airport could reach an agreement with a Chinese airline to bring more Chinese tourists to the city.

"We have clear blue sky. We have a beautiful lake in the center of the city. We have great food and wine," Byron said, adding Canberra should have its fair share of the lucrative market of an increasing number of Chinese tourists.

Tourism promotion packages have been developed to bring tourists from Canberra to the southern coast of New South Wales where people can find the best oysters in Australia and the Snowy Mountain where the country's best ski resorts are located. Both destinations are within two hours' drive from Canberra.

Byron said he started to talk to the Singapore Airlines three years ago before seeing the airline finally launching the service this September. He expected to have a Chinese airline service at the Canberra Airport in four or five year's time.

Now that the airport sees 3 million passengers each year, the number of people using the airport is expected to have an increase of about 200,000 as a result of the new international service provided by Singapore Airlines and to reach 5 million in total in five years.

Starting 16 years ago, Canberra Airport Open Day has become one of the largest public events in Canberra. In the first 10 years, the event was held annually. As it became larger in scale, it was then adjusted to a biannual event.

"It did involved a lot of resources. All of our staff has to work for this event. The airliners (Qantas and Virgin) are all very supportive, as well as the RAAF. We did it for the sake of the community," Byron said. Endit