1
00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,560
Speaker 1: The Northern Territory is opening up to international travelers once again. Well,

2
00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:08,240
Speaker 1: indeed all of Australia is. We know that those borders

3
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,840
Speaker 1: are opened. I don't know if there's been any flights

4
00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,360
Speaker 1: arrive yet, but joining us on the line right now

5
00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:16,159
Speaker 1: to tell us a little bit more about what is

6
00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,560
Speaker 1: happening at the Northern Territories airports. It is Anti Airport's

7
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,279
Speaker 1: executive General Manager of Operations, Rob Porter. Good morning to you, Rob.

8
00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:27,560
Speaker 2: Yeah, good morning. How are you today?

9
00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,280
Speaker 1: Yeah? Very well Rob. Obviously the international borders have opened.

10
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:33,040
Speaker 1: Have we had any flights arrived yet.

11
00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,360
Speaker 2: So we've got QF two little Land about quarter post

12
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,280
Speaker 2: eleven today from London and then we've got to QF

13
00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:45,080
Speaker 2: ten also any cutting our way later on this afternoon

14
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:45,640
Speaker 2: at one.

15
00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,720
Speaker 1: So just the two flights today.

16
00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:50,520
Speaker 2: Rob, Yeah, that's right.

17
00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:54,440
Speaker 1: Yeah, and obviously pretty exciting times I would imagine for

18
00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:56,800
Speaker 1: everybody at the airport at this point, finally going to

19
00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,600
Speaker 1: see those international travelers again. Any fanfare for those travelers arriving.

20
00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:06,160
Speaker 2: Oh absolutely, I think for our first flight today out

21
00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,880
Speaker 2: back Wrangler Matt Wright will be We're beyond on site

22
00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:13,360
Speaker 2: to welcome the first flight today and then later on

23
00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:17,040
Speaker 2: today we'll be sharing a refreshing top end lemonade and

24
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:22,360
Speaker 2: some cupcakes with those that arride this afternoon, as well

25
00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,160
Speaker 2: as a traditional welcome to country by youth mill. I'm

26
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,720
Speaker 2: looking forward to seeing that performance this afternoon as well.

27
00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,880
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's it's obviously, you know, that real

28
00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,160
Speaker 1: sort of positivity that we all need, hoping to see

29
00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:40,240
Speaker 1: travelers back into the territory again. Do we have any

30
00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,320
Speaker 1: idea how many passengers you're expecting on those flights?

31
00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:48,480
Speaker 2: I think probably about one hundred and eighty those flights today,

32
00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,960
Speaker 2: So we're pretty excited about that. It's a start. A

33
00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:56,760
Speaker 2: poor old airport industry or aviation industry has done it

34
00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,360
Speaker 2: tough in the last couple of years, and that just

35
00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:03,000
Speaker 2: flows on to to local business, to our tourism operators,

36
00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,920
Speaker 2: to our hospitality operators. We just look, we are so

37
00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,000
Speaker 2: excited that things are starting to return to some form

38
00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,920
Speaker 2: of normality. So we're really looking forward to it.

39
00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,000
Speaker 1: And Rob any idea how many flights or if there

40
00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,639
Speaker 1: are any international flights. Probably not, I'm guessing arriving into

41
00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:20,560
Speaker 1: Central Australia at this point.

42
00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:25,559
Speaker 2: No, not at this stage. You know, we're looking to

43
00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,800
Speaker 2: kick off, you know, Singapore flights, so they're currently on sale,

44
00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,160
Speaker 2: and I think everyone is keen to hear about Barley

45
00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:35,000
Speaker 2: flights and Barley flats are not that far away, or

46
00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,280
Speaker 2: we think that by the end of March we should

47
00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:42,600
Speaker 2: have some more connectivity or connectivity to Bali. So yeah,

48
00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:47,119
Speaker 2: it's little steps for our industry, some cautious steps. But look,

49
00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:49,360
Speaker 2: you know we're really excited to be back on track.

50
00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,720
Speaker 1: Yeah, absolutely so Singapore and Bali they're not too far away.

51
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,960
Speaker 2: So think, aboy, you can buy flights today. Barley is

52
00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:57,880
Speaker 2: not too far away.

53
00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:03,000
Speaker 1: Wonderful stuff. And rob how like, how is the capacity?

54
00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,000
Speaker 1: Looking at the airport again? Now I know that at

55
00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:07,760
Speaker 1: different times it you know, over the last couple of years,

56
00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,320
Speaker 1: it's changed or it's ebbed and flowed dramatically. How is

57
00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,320
Speaker 1: the capacity when you talk about arrivals into the territory

58
00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:14,840
Speaker 1: at the moment.

59
00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:19,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, it's sort of as you've described, it's kind

60
00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,600
Speaker 2: of been up and down and all over the place.

61
00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,680
Speaker 2: And but what we are seeing is an exciting return

62
00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:27,600
Speaker 2: to our dry season and you know, we are looking

63
00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,280
Speaker 2: forward to getting everybody back connected with the territory again.

64
00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:35,120
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think we all are and hoping that it's

65
00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:38,240
Speaker 1: going to make a big impact and a big change.

66
00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:40,040
Speaker 1: Is there anything that you guys are having to still

67
00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,320
Speaker 1: do at the airport as international arrivals get to the

68
00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,400
Speaker 1: territory or is it pretty much back to when you

69
00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,720
Speaker 1: step off that plane, you go through customs, you get

70
00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,920
Speaker 1: your luggage, and you're back into you know, to traveling again.

71
00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,040
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's pretty much back to normal. You know, there'll

72
00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,800
Speaker 2: be a few spot checks along the way, but certainly,

73
00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,280
Speaker 2: you know, the work that the Porter Control Unit and

74
00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:04,200
Speaker 2: the Department of Health have done over the last two

75
00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:08,080
Speaker 2: years has kept our community safe and whilst we see

76
00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:11,400
Speaker 2: the eating of these restrictions as a real positive for us,

77
00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,600
Speaker 2: we just also want to acknowledge the hard work that

78
00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:18,000
Speaker 2: the departner has done. The way that we've worked together

79
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:19,240
Speaker 2: has just been fantastic.

80
00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,200
Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well so, Rob, obviously, like you said, Matt Wright,

81
00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,000
Speaker 1: the Outback Wrangler, he's going to be there welcoming everyone

82
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,360
Speaker 1: today and there'll be some lemonade and cupcakes and it

83
00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:30,360
Speaker 1: should be plenty of fun.

84
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, we're looking forward to it, really excited.

85
00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,080
Speaker 1: Good stuff. Well, Rob Porter, lovely to speak to you

86
00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:37,799
Speaker 1: this morning. Really appreciate your time.

87
00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,000
Speaker 2: Thank you, taking you too