1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: Now we've been talking quite a bit this morning about 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: this news that Air Asia is pulling the pin on Darwin. 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: We spoke to the Minister a little bit earlier this morning, 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Robin Karl, and she'd said that she's really disappointed. In fact, 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,160 Speaker 1: she didn't mince a word. She sounded like she's really 6 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: quite upset about it, and that she has asked the department, well, 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: she'd ask them a little while back to review the 8 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: incentive scheme that we've got going to try to get 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: airlines to operate here in the Northern Territory, so that 10 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,400 Speaker 1: they've either got to be operating for a certain period 11 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: of time or they're paying back that money is the 12 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: way that it could potentially look. But joining me on 13 00:00:39,040 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: the line to talk a little bit more about this 14 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: is Sam Bennett from Tourism Top End. 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Sam, morning Katie. 16 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show. Now, what was 17 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: your reaction when you learned that Air Asia was pulling 18 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: the pin? 19 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:59,320 Speaker 2: Oh, look, I think it's very disappointing. You know, I 20 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 2: don't think so they gave it enough time. I think 21 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 2: that you need twelve months to establish demand on a 22 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 2: route and we didn't get that amount of time. So 23 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 2: I would absolutely agree with the Department that there needs 24 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 2: to be a look at a commitment from airlines to 25 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 2: make their airline, their route sustainable. 26 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,479 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, give us a bit of an opportunity, 27 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: I suppose, give everybody a bit of an opportunity to 28 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 1: work out, you know, what's working or the way that 29 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: it could potentially even change a little bit or be 30 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: modified to work better. But you know, we've sort of 31 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: got the opposite this morning from are Asia. In fact, 32 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,119 Speaker 1: they've come out and they've announced that they're increasing routes 33 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: well to just about every other capital city but pulling 34 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: it from Darwin. 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. And that's what you know, that's 36 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 2: the commercial decisions that airlines make. If there is more 37 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: demand from another port or another city that they know 38 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 2: that they can actually get the load factor that they want, 39 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 2: they'll make a commercial decision to you know, allocate the 40 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: assets to those routes that are going to make them profit. 41 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 2: I mean, airlines are profitable. They're a business, so they 42 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 2: run on profit. That's what makes their decision. 43 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's tough, and we hear that very often. It's like, 44 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,400 Speaker 1: you know, it's it comes down to bums on seats 45 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: and making sure that that it's working for them, you know, 46 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: in terms of like we talk a lot about the 47 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: impact for us as territorians wanting to maybe you know, 48 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: to go on a trip away, you know, an easy 49 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: sort of trip away. Do you reckon We're like we will. 50 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: We seeing many people travel to the Northern Territory from 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: either of those air Asia routes, particularly you know, maybe 52 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: the new one k L. 53 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think that there was a lot of 54 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 2: traffic inbound on those flights. It is, I mean, Bali's 55 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: traditionally a leisure market and so you know that was 56 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 2: about to Ratorians being able to go to Bali and 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 2: enjoy a cheap holiday. And the thing with Bali right 58 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:10,240 Speaker 2: now is that its reputation is that it isn't as 59 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 2: cheap as it used to be. Their expenses are going up, 60 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 2: and so you know, people are still looking at other destinations. 61 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 2: So I think that it doesn't it won't have a 62 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 2: huge impact on us. We still have jet Star. Jetstar 63 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 2: have been pretty loyal to that route, and I guess 64 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: it'll just be whether or not there'll be an increase 65 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 2: to the cost of affairs, which you know, without competition, 66 00:03:37,280 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 2: that's what you get. 67 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, unfortunately that does tend to happen. Sam, how are 68 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: things going, I mean, are we how like, are we 69 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: being quite busy at the moment when it comes to 70 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: tourists visiting us here in Darwin. I know it's a 71 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: bit of an interesting time of the year, given the 72 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 1: fact that we're sort of almost monsooner. Yeah. 73 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 2: Correct. Look, I think that there's a real focus on 74 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 2: what is working, and the crew's market is amazing. We've 75 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: got like seven big ships this month or we've got seven, 76 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: you know, over a thousand, which is an amazing amount 77 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: of people to be landing in duh. And when you know, 78 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 2: we do have constraints with the roads and other access points. 79 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: So I think that's the industry and the sector that 80 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 2: we're really focused on and making sure that they have 81 00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 2: an amazing experience when they come, so that this isn't 82 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 2: just a day trip for them they go. I really 83 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: love that. I'm going to go back and spend more 84 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: time there because it's a really strong domestic market as well, 85 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,719 Speaker 2: that is on those cruise ships. So I think that's 86 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 2: our opportunity and I think that that's where we are focused. 87 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 2: And also the drive market. You know, we've tourism top ends, 88 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,919 Speaker 2: just represented all of the products at the caravan and 89 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,039 Speaker 2: camping shows and yeah, they're planning on coming. You know. 90 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 2: I think the drive mark it will be fine this year. 91 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 2: It'll just be a little bit late, depending on when 92 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 2: everything opens, subject to how much more rain we get. 93 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, that'll be the interesting part. I sup I was 94 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: waiting to see everything open, like you said, based on 95 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: that wet weather. Sam. Always good to catch up with you. 96 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: I really appreciate you having a quick chat with us 97 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: this morning. 98 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 2: Welcome Katie and have a great grain you too. 99 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: Talk soon.