An airport opportunity !

Once again the Illawarra regional airport is to be surveyed to determine what it's future holds.
In the past there have been hopes - raised and dashed - of it becoming a commuter hub and an interstate travel centre.

A factor in it's favour is the distaste most travellers have for Sydney's Kingsford Smith airport at Botany.

Sydney airport is not an inviting place from which to travel. It can be accessed by train, but the fare asked is little short of banditry. Car parking fees are astronomical, and the sheer chaos of driving within the terminus and surrounding area is often described as " a nightmare ! "

Once at the terminal travellers are confronted with too many people concentrated in too small an area - hugely inflated prices for all sorts of services - from a cup of coffee to a forgotten need such as a tube of toothpaste - and the relentless rush to check in on time and check baggage.

One of the causes of this hassle is the mix of domestic and international traffic in a high concentration Sydney suburb.

Travellers would welcome accessing domestic holiday flights from a relaxing smaller airport such as the Illawarra - providing it did not mean relinquishing jet aircraft such as the 737 in favour of small, turbo-prop transport such as the old, unreliable and much maligned Dash-8.

We could have the Illawarra airport as a holiday transport hub - provided we can handle the type of aircraft the holiday crowd expect and demand.

This survey will need to determine what aircraft types the Illawarra can presently handle - and what extensions are possible to bring it's capacity up to those needs.

Having determined that, where the money will come from to make the necessary adjustments, including a decent terminal lounge and facilities.

The fact that the airport is owned by Shellharbour council could be a limitation. To be successful - if the survey delivers the right findings - it may be necessary for the council to sell the airport to a dedicated commercial interest to finance the expanded facilities.

But firstly - let us see what this survey delivers before we head down that track !