SYDNEY’S second airport at Badgery’s Creek is among three solutions flagged by member for New England Barnaby Joyce to stem Tamworth’s air travel woes.
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In the wake of angry demands by Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson for peak time slots into Kingsford Smith Airport, Mr Joyce said he would stand with his state colleague in calling for a solution to the problem.
His comments follow last week’s turbulent news in which Virgin Australia announced it would cut its night time flights from six times a week to three due to new allocations into Sydney airport.
Mr Joyce told Fairfax Media there were three possible solutions to the problem, but not everyone would benefit.
“It’s obviously an issue for Tamworth airport and it’s access to Sydney airport, obviously once you start losing slots then then you’ve got these solutions – you can either bring the slots closer together, you can extend the hours of the airport or you can build yourself another airport,” he said.
“ They’re (the Government) going through the process of building another airport at Badgery’s Creek and as soon as that is operational than that will alleviate it, in some way shape or form.
“But to a point you’re going to have more problems in that people when people believe they’re coming into the western suburbs of Sydney.
“I’m wanting to make sure we have greater commercial access.”
Mr Joyce said reducing the time between flights was also a possible solution along with extending the curfews at the airport.
“This has ramifications of course for people around the airport – but you can build another airport, it’s the simple chronology for it.”
However with the Sydney airport slated to open in 2025, locals are calling for a quick fix to the problem with areas including Narrabri in a similar situation.
Mr Anderson told The Leader this week he believed Tamworth had the passenger numbers to justify peak slots.and would be approaching the relevant ministers for a solution to the problem.