Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / NT Airports Executive GM of Operations Airport Development Group Rob Porter on the return of international travellers to the NT

Transcript

NT Airports Executive GM of Operations Airport Development Group Rob Porter on the return of international travellers to the NT · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: The Northern Territory is opening up to international travelers once again. Well,
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: indeed all of Australia is. We know that those borders
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: are opened. I don't know if there's been any flights
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: arrive yet, but joining us on the line right now
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: to tell us a little bit more about what is
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: happening at the Northern Territories airports. It is Anti Airport's
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: executive General Manager of Operations, Rob Porter. Good morning to you, Rob.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning. How are you today?
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Yeah? Very well Rob. Obviously the international borders have opened.
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Have we had any flights arrived yet.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: So we've got QF two little Land about quarter post
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: eleven today from London and then we've got to QF
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: ten also any cutting our way later on this afternoon
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: at one.
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: So just the two flights today.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: Rob, Yeah, that's right.
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and obviously pretty exciting times I would imagine for
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: everybody at the airport at this point, finally going to
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: see those international travelers again. Any fanfare for those travelers arriving.
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, I think for our first flight today out
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: back Wrangler Matt Wright will be We're beyond on site
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: to welcome the first flight today and then later on
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: today we'll be sharing a refreshing top end lemonade and
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: some cupcakes with those that arride this afternoon, as well
• 1:22
  Speaker 2: as a traditional welcome to country by youth mill. I'm
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: looking forward to seeing that performance this afternoon as well.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's it's obviously, you know, that real
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: sort of positivity that we all need, hoping to see
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: travelers back into the territory again. Do we have any
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: idea how many passengers you're expecting on those flights?
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: I think probably about one hundred and eighty those flights today,
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: So we're pretty excited about that. It's a start. A
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: poor old airport industry or aviation industry has done it
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: tough in the last couple of years, and that just
• 1:59
  Speaker 2: flows on to to local business, to our tourism operators,
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: to our hospitality operators. We just look, we are so
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: excited that things are starting to return to some form
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: of normality. So we're really looking forward to it.
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: And Rob any idea how many flights or if there
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: are any international flights. Probably not, I'm guessing arriving into
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: Central Australia at this point.
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: No, not at this stage. You know, we're looking to
• 2:25
  Speaker 2: kick off, you know, Singapore flights, so they're currently on sale,
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: and I think everyone is keen to hear about Barley
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: flights and Barley flats are not that far away, or
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: we think that by the end of March we should
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: have some more connectivity or connectivity to Bali. So yeah,
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: it's little steps for our industry, some cautious steps. But look,
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: you know we're really excited to be back on track.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely so Singapore and Bali they're not too far away.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: So think, aboy, you can buy flights today. Barley is
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: not too far away.
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: Wonderful stuff. And rob how like, how is the capacity?
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: Looking at the airport again? Now I know that at
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: different times it you know, over the last couple of years,
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: it's changed or it's ebbed and flowed dramatically. How is
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: the capacity when you talk about arrivals into the territory
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: at the moment.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's sort of as you've described, it's kind
• 3:19
  Speaker 2: of been up and down and all over the place.
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: And but what we are seeing is an exciting return
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: to our dry season and you know, we are looking
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: forward to getting everybody back connected with the territory again.
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we all are and hoping that it's
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: going to make a big impact and a big change.
• 3:38
  Speaker 1: Is there anything that you guys are having to still
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: do at the airport as international arrivals get to the
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: territory or is it pretty much back to when you
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: step off that plane, you go through customs, you get
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: your luggage, and you're back into you know, to traveling again.
• 3:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty much back to normal. You know, there'll
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: be a few spot checks along the way, but certainly,
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: you know, the work that the Porter Control Unit and
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: the Department of Health have done over the last two
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: years has kept our community safe and whilst we see
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: the eating of these restrictions as a real positive for us,
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: we just also want to acknowledge the hard work that
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: the departner has done. The way that we've worked together
• 4:18
  Speaker 2: has just been fantastic.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well so, Rob, obviously, like you said, Matt Wright,
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: the Outback Wrangler, he's going to be there welcoming everyone
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: today and there'll be some lemonade and cupcakes and it
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: should be plenty of fun.
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking forward to it, really excited.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well, Rob Porter, lovely to speak to you
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: this morning. Really appreciate your time.
• 4:38
  Speaker 2: Thank you, taking you too