WITH the first crisp of autumnal chill in the air across the Hunter, there may not have been a better time to announce that direct flights from Cairns would leave Newcastle Airport for the first time in June.
The announcement, revealed in Thursday's Newcastle Herald, had smiles on both sides of the border as traders in both the Hunter and Queensland prepare for the complete absence of overseas tourists for what looks like a second straight year.
The Hunter's position near Sydney has likely insulated it from the brunt of the blow to tourism, with some providers reporting a bumper crop of eager city slickers keen to explore the wineries, Port Stephens and beyond. But as state borders prop open more dependably, that advantage of convenience may give way to increased competition.
For passengers, another destination on the airport's departure boards is unadulterated good news. With existing services laying over in Brisbane, a faster link also offers the potential for doing business between the two regional hubs to become much simpler.
Jetstar's confidence in exploring new routes to and from Newcastle Airport, too, is reassuring for the region. There were few guarantees for anyone involved in the travel industry this time last year; that new frontiers are now being forged is testament to the hard work of many.
What comes next, of course, is up to patrons. Numbers determine the success or failure of any new route, and airlines and airports alone cannot dictate whether those rise or fall. With the federal budget on the horizon, Newcastle Airport will be equally hopeful that its ambitions of a runway upgrade may be next to take wing. It is estimated the runway upgrade would create 4500 jobs and generate $12.7 billion in economic benefits through international airfreight and increased tourism over the next two decades - assuming, that is, the resumption of international travel. Its case is done no harm by adding a new domestic destination amid difficult trading conditions for many players in the industry.
The airport's chief executive, Dr Peter Cock, described the Cairns route "as a great example of delivering the airport our region deserves". That is a concept worthy of contemplation by both state and federal leaders. Much like those first flights to Cairns on June 23, what happens next for Newcastle Airport in terms of state and federal support remains up in the air.
