More than 800 people have responded to a recent Gunnedah Shire Council Air Travel Survey about interest in flights to and from Gunnedah.
The Air Travel Survey drew 820 responses, allowing the Shire to have a high level of confidence in the results.
Gunnedah Shire Mayor Jamie Chaffey said the strong response showed the community felt strongly about air travel in their local area.
“This survey has given us a very good basis for a business case to take to airlines to show we have a viable case for direct flights to and from Gunnedah,” Cr Chaffey said.
“Of the 820 respondents, 72 percent said they would ‘definitely’ or ‘probably’ use Gunnedah airport if flights were available in the future. People who said they would use the airport said they were likely to fly quarterly.
“The biggest interest was in flights to and from Sydney, followed by Brisbane, Melbourne and Regional New South Wales.
“I would really like to thank our community for taking the time to make this such a meaningful survey. We are in the process of a much-needed upgrade to our airport tarmac that will not only see us through for many, many years to come, but will make it possible for commercial carriers to operate from Gunnedah.
“The survey showed that not only are people interested in flights for holidays or to visit friends and family, but many respondents regularly had visitors or staff travelling to and from Gunnedah Shire.
“This was an eye-opening survey that clearly showed our community’s travel habits and their support for a commercial carrier.”
Work is currently under way on the complete refurbishment of the Gunnedah Airport tarmac, which is nearing the end of its serviceable life.
The aerodrome is currently closed to air traffic while work is carried out in two phases – phase 1 being the pavement works between May and June, and phase 2 being the surfacing in September. The aerodrome will be open to limited air traffic between the end of June and September.
The project will include complete refurbishment of the tarmac, taxiway and apron to bring it into line with Australian Civil Aviation Regulation requirements for certified facilities.
The $8.35 million project has been funded by the State and Federal governments in partnership with Gunnedah Shire Council.
Like what you’re reading? Support The New England Times by making a small donation today and help us keep delivering local news paywall-free. Donate now