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Speaker 1: We know that the government yesterday announced new funding to

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Speaker 1: attract more airlines to Darwin and Ala Springs. So it's

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Speaker 1: a scheme. So essentially the way it's going to work

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Speaker 1: is it's ten million dollars could go towards trying to

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Speaker 1: entice airlines here is my understanding. But joining us on

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Speaker 1: the line to tell us a little bit more about

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Speaker 1: the initiative and the difference that I guess it could

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Speaker 1: make for us here in the top end, particularly in Darwin,

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Speaker 1: is the Airport Development Group's executive general Manager of Operations,

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Speaker 1: Rob Porter.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Rob, Good morning Katy.

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Speaker 1: How are you today, Yeah, really good. Great to have

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Speaker 1: you on the show.

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Speaker 2: Rob.

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Speaker 1: As we know, the government announced this new funding this week.

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Speaker 1: It's aimed to attract more airlines to Darwin and Alice Springs.

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Speaker 1: What's your reaction to the scheme.

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Speaker 2: Oh, A good bit where we're certainly very very pleased

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Speaker 2: and I think that we all appreciate that Darwin, Alice

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Speaker 2: Springs and even you are two of the most isolated

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Speaker 2: cities in Australia and such. You know, we need these

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Speaker 2: kinds of attraction funds so that we can reconnect with

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Speaker 2: you know, family and friends and certainly you know, do

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Speaker 2: business with the with the right Australian community. So yeah,

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Speaker 2: we're really really hopeful that we can work together to

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Speaker 2: make this a success.

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Speaker 1: How will it work in a practical sense, you know,

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Speaker 1: in relation to that ten million dollars and how it

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Speaker 1: would go towards an airline.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, so the scheme is to be matched dollar for dollars.

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Speaker 2: So ADG will certainly work with Tourism NT to source

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Speaker 2: those markets and work with the airlines both domestically and

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Speaker 2: internationally with this with this fund in our back pocket,

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Speaker 2: so we can go and have conversations with with airlines

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Speaker 2: and other operators with some confidence that we've got something

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Speaker 2: real and tangible to put on the table.

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Speaker 1: And I know that you know that the Minister is

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Speaker 1: flagged in the past that there are different airlines that

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Speaker 1: they're talking to. I mean, are there a few airlines

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Speaker 1: or different serve says that we were looking at kind

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Speaker 1: of expanding here in the Northern Territory. Bondser, I know,

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Speaker 1: is one that has been suggested.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, we're talking to Bondser and in other operators

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Speaker 2: in the Asia region as well. So these things do

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Speaker 2: take time. So you know, if you build the relationship,

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Speaker 2: understand the dynamic of each of the different markets that

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Speaker 2: we want to tap into. But yeah, it does take time,

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Speaker 2: but we've definitely got something in our pocket that we

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Speaker 2: can use. So we have got a compelling offer. Now

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Speaker 2: it's both ADG and NTG working working together.

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Speaker 1: Rob. How difficult is it going to be though? You

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Speaker 1: know we've spoken over the last few weeks about those

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Speaker 1: runway works and the fact that it has meant that

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Speaker 1: one route in particular from Darwin to Bali has been

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Speaker 1: canceled around October. How big an impact is that work

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Speaker 1: going to have. When you're talking about enticing airlines to

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Speaker 1: the terrat tray.

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Speaker 2: You'll think of the runway weeks. So we'll still have

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Speaker 2: an operating runway and so you know there will be

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Speaker 2: times through the night where it will need to be

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Speaker 2: closed for the works to take place. So we've still

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Speaker 2: got magnificant windows to work with operators. And once we

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Speaker 2: get right down to the tin taxs of what those

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Speaker 2: closures are and what days and what weeks will be impacted,

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Speaker 2: then you know we can have some solid conversations with

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Speaker 2: airlines to say here's the opportunity and what we'll see

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Speaker 2: is one of two things. You know, they'll reschedule to

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Speaker 2: those periods when they can operate if we're what we're

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Speaker 2: seeing and making adjustments to schedules. So there's still a

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Speaker 2: bit of a way to go, but I still think

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Speaker 2: we've got a golden opportunity with this, with this attraction scheme.

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Speaker 1: So do you reckon just stepping away from the attraction

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Speaker 1: scheme for a sec and with those runway works, do

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Speaker 1: you reckon we might end up in a situation where

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Speaker 1: some of those routes that have have been canceled all

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Speaker 1: that one in particular, that it might end up back

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Speaker 1: on the table.

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Speaker 2: So I think what we're with the what it's called

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Speaker 2: like a myth of the works plan. Okay, so that's

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Speaker 2: that's the detail, and we share that with the airlines,

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Speaker 2: and that's been shared with the airlines, and now they've

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Speaker 2: got some detail to work with as to whether and

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Speaker 2: then the airline think can freely make some decisions around Okay,

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Speaker 2: so the runway's not available between these hours, well maybe

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Speaker 2: I can reschedule a flight. So we're getting getting closer

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Speaker 2: with the detail and working with the Department of Defense

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Speaker 2: to get that detail in front of the airlines and

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Speaker 2: we've done that, and we'll see how the airlines make

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Speaker 2: those adjustments in accordance with the particular work plan.

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Speaker 1: And so then just going back now to the you know,

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Speaker 1: to this initiative that the government announced, how quickly do

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Speaker 1: you reckon we might see some you know, some of

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Speaker 1: these airlines sort of taking I guess taking the government

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Speaker 1: up on this offer.

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Speaker 3: Oh look, I think all of the airline are now

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Speaker 3: taking notice, right, and so they'll be they'll be looking

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Speaker 3: to you know, this this attraction steam and how they

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Speaker 3: may be able to benefit from it as well.

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Speaker 2: So look, it is hard yacker getting new airlines and

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Speaker 2: getting new routes developed. But I think that the team

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Speaker 2: here and working with TOURISMNTEE that they've got some work underway.

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Speaker 2: And so yeah, we'll just have to watch this space.

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Speaker 2: I think I think we're in a good spot.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, And look, I think that Territorians would like, you know,

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Speaker 1: everybody would like to see some more options because it

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Speaker 1: does feel as though sometimes you know, we sort of

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Speaker 1: get forgotten about a bit by the airlines, or you know,

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Speaker 1: we're flying the Red Eye flights and arriving and leaving

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Speaker 1: it at really late times and paying an arm and

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Speaker 1: a leg to fly around the place. So it would

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Speaker 1: I think make a huge difference to have other options. Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely, And you know, all of the team here at

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Speaker 2: the airport, we're all Territorians, were all. You know, we

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Speaker 2: all one to access flights as well, so you know,

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Speaker 2: we're all on the same page here in terms of

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Speaker 2: getting the best options, not just outbound, but certainly inbound.

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Speaker 2: You know, it's a wonderful time of year up in

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Speaker 2: the territory right now, and we've really got to really

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Speaker 2: got to leverage that with our airline partners.

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Speaker 1: Rob, any other updates that we should be aware of

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Speaker 1: at this point in time in terms of those runway works,

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Speaker 1: I know you said earlier that's working closely with Defense

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Speaker 1: to try to minimize those impacts, But any other updates

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Speaker 1: At this point.

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Speaker 2: We're probably a couple of weeks away from having a

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Speaker 2: really finally defined so you know, we're working with the

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Speaker 2: Department of Defense the irresponsibility. They're taking the lead, but

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Speaker 2: we're not far away from having a solid plan that

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Speaker 2: we can we can talk more about. Well.

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Speaker 1: Rob Porter, the Airport Development Group's executive general manager of Operations,

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Speaker 1: good to speak to you this morning. I appreciate your time.

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Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you, you two