Council
3 June, 2024
Airport plan inches closer to taking off
Horsham might not have Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin or Rex queuing for airspace just yet but the city is determined not to be caught flat-footed if and when a conversation with an air-transport provider does occur.
At its monthly meeting on Monday, Horsham Rural City Council (HRCC) voted unanimously to take the next step towards finalising its Horsham Airport Master Plan.
In stage one of the two-part project, a business case was prepared and a feasibility study carried out.
These were then used as the basis for developing the overarching master plan (including detailed designs), the most recent draft of which was approved on Monday for public release.
In it, a team of consultants forecasts demand for the airport through to 2044 and at the same time takes a longer-term view in mapping out a vision for the facility for the next 50 years.
The 170-plus-page document suggests that a commercial operator offering regular passenger flights to and from Horsham could rely on having a customer catchment of just under 45,000 people, encompassing not only Horsham and its immediate surrounds but also the shires of Yarriambiack and West Wimmera and stretching out to Stawell and Nhill.
Population-wise, Horsham itself – with just over 20,000 residents – is comparable to regional centres already serviced by Australia’s four main domestic passenger airlines, including Busselton (Jetstar), Broome, Mount Isa and Burnie (Qantas), Emerald and Karratha (Virgin Australia) and Parkes and Mount Gambier (Rex).
However, the report cautions against over-spending at this time with the intention of attracting a big-name operator.
“Ultimately airlines will choose the most viable route options offering the highest probability to return profits,” its authors state.
“We are 100 per cent proponents of the ‘build just in time’ infrastructure investment philosophy, ideally after an airline has made a commitment to start a new route opportunity.
“We consider the alternative ‘build just in case’ philosophy far too risky and a potential waste of owner/investor/ratepayer funds.”
The report identifies Essendon rather than Tullamarine or Avalon as the preferred connection point for future passenger flights to and from Melbourne.
It says a commercial airline could expect to attract 40,000 passengers per year - or 130-177 per week on average, spread across six or seven flights - as a combination of residents and visitors.
This would suit an aircraft such as the 34-seat Saab 340 currently flown by Rex.
To appeal to the public, fares would need to be in the $200-$300 range, based on comparable flights of 250km-450km.
Between March and July 2023 HRCC consulted with user groups at the airport including air ambulance, rescue and emergency, aeronautical support and limited charter serevices; a flight school and pilot trainers; and glider, joyflight and agricultural operators.
The draft master plan was shared with the same stakeholders last month. It will be open for comment until July 10.