Wellcamp's first service announced

[Rowan McKeever]

Sydney, twice daily Mon-Fri and daily on weekends by QantasLink Q400s:

http://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/med...th-qantas-deal

[Brandon Giacomin]

Schedule...

Sydney - Wellcamp

QF2016 SYD 0810 WTB 0850 DH8D x67
QF2018 SYD 1755 WTB 1835 DH8D X6

Wellcamp - Sydney

QF2015 WTB 0520 SYD 0755 DH8D x67
QF2017 WTB 0730 SYD 1005 DH8D 6
QF2017 WTB 0935 SYD 1210 DH8D x67

[David Knudsen]

Source

Skytrans cancels Toowoomba-Sydney route following Qantas announcement

The arrival of Qantas into Toowoomba has claimed its first victim, with regional carrier Skytrans cancelling its Sydney services due to the new competition. QantasLink, Qantas's regional arm, announced on Wednesday it would be the first airline to use the new, privately built and funded, Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport when it introduced daily Sydney services in November. Skytrans had entered the Toowoomba-Sydney market in 2012, flying its 36-seat Dash-8s out of the smaller, council-owned Toowoomba aerodrome.

QantasLink's Dash-8 Q400s have a passenger capacity of 74 – twice that of the Skytrans aircraft. Skytrans managing director Simon Wild remained upbeat despite the announcement, calling QantasLink's arrival a "cause for celebration" for the people of Toowoomba.

"Unfortunately, we are a small family airline and our cost structure does not allow us to compete," he said.

"Many regional markets just aren't big enough for two players and, being a small regional airline, we just can't compete with the larger carriers." Mr Wild said Skytrans would continue to fly in and out of Toowoomba, About 100 passengers had pre-purchased Skytrans tickets between Toowoomba and Sydney on dates post-November 17, when QantasLink will begin its services. Skytrans senior sales executive David Berry said those passengers would all receive refunds.

The Toowoomba aerodrome will continue to operate after the Wagner family-built Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport starts operations. Wagners chairman John Wagner said he hoped to see Skytrans operate out of his family's airport, which had been built at a cost of up to $200 million. "We're certainly in discussions with them about operating out of here," he said. "The plus that we have over Toowoomba is we're 600 feet lower than Toowoomba Airport, so we're generally out of the weather, which means if I was the Skytrans owner I'd be coming out of here rather than going out of Toowoomba, quite frankly."

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said "market forces" would resolve the future of the existing Toowoomba Airport, but Mr Wagner was adamant there was still a place for the aerodrome.

"We, as a family and as an operator here, want it to stay open," he said. "It houses things like the Darling Downs Aero Club, it houses the Warbirds and it's got a number of maintenance operations there. "It's a vital piece of community infrastructure and we don't particularly want the flying clubs mixing with jet traffic here."

[Matthew H]

Still not sure how they can call this Brisbane West. Is there a reason why the existing aerodrome couldn't be expanded?

[Nigel C]

There's not a lot of room for expansion at the existing Toowoomba strip....

[Zac M]

I don't think it's really about expansion, more like, "look, I've got money, and I'm gonna show everyone by building my own massive airport in the middle of no where"

[Nigel C]

Wagner didn't need to go building an airport to tell people how wealthy he is.

[Mick F]

Matt,
The current Toowoomba aerodrome is at its limit of expansion. The runway was upgraded as much as it could be only a couple of years ago.

Zac,
Quite an immature comment. The Wagner family should be applauded for their willingness to invest in such infrastructure. I believe this is the first privately funded airport (mining strips excluded) to be built in Australia, and the first brand new airport in Australia (that's the claim, I thought YHOT was also brand new) since Tullamarine. Given the difficulty we have just in even deciding where to build a new airport in Sydney, Wagners have shown what can be done without all the red tape.

Wellcamp (Brisbane West, don't see what's wrong with that name) is well located, well thought out, and there for future growth in the Toowoomba region.

Some things to think about:
1. The Toowoomba Range Bypass (which Wagners are tendering for) will bring Toowoomba (and Wellcamp Airport) within short driving distance of many people living between Brisbane and Toowoomba. It's likely that even living on the Western outskirts of Brisbane, driving time will be less to Wellcamp, than to Brisbane Airport. Also less hassle with parking etc.

2. The location of the airport compared to the current Toowoomba Airport is much better when weather is taken into consideration. YTWB is on top of a ridge, so tends to sit in the clouds and fog quite often. Wellcamp might get a little bit of fog, but not the weather YTWB gets now.

3. If Wellcamp is a success, then it could pave the way for other private investors to take the risk and build other airports around the country.

The way aviation in Australia is going, anything like this should be welcomed.

Mick

[Dave Dale]

Well said Mick

[JamesL]

Very true Mick! I just wish AVV would bite the bullet an build their expansion to compete with APAMEL