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SETTING UP CAMP
where Brisbane is a gateway to the Wellcamp is an ideal site for
rest of the world to attract those pilot training. But what aircraft
pilots in, to attract people into this
location. Most importantly of all, utilise to fly from there has yet
we know that the trainers and the to be determined. lenn bayliss/ prepared for that demand.”
students want to live in a place that
is a great place to work, a great place
to live and a great place to study. And
Toowoomba is that.”
For Qantas however, it isn’t
merely a matter of having two of
its own academies training at least
500 pilots annually for its own and
Australia’s needs. It is clearly an
enormous business opportunity. The
statistics for pilot requirements have
been well documented with Boeing
forecasts putting it at 790,000 pilots
over the next 20 years.
“Air travel in some regions is going
to double,” says Joyce. “We do need
to replace retiring pilots as well. In
the past two years Qantas has hired
850 new pilots, mostly because of our
expansion and the arrival of B787s.
We are looking forward to potentially
Project Sunrise allowing us to fly
is going to be training pilots for the
Qantas Group, Qantas, Jetstar and
QantasLink but we also believe there
is a huge opportunity worldwide. It’s a
business opportunity using our brand.
It’s a business opportunity to attract
people in other airlines from all over
the globe here to be trained and to
use the Qantas name to make that a
business proposition.”
Toowoomba is the first of two
locations chosen from a shortlist
of nine regional cities, with Alice
Springs, Bendigo, Busselton, Dubbo,
Launceston, Mackay, Tamworth
and Wagga Wagga still under
consideration for the second academy
site. Selection criteria include access
to uncongested airspace, a high
proportion of clear weather days per
year, access to support infrastructure
and ability to attract students and
trainers to live in the area. The second
academy is expected to be up and
running in 2020.
Wherever it is, the regional
economy can look forward to a boost.
Wagner Corporation director Denis
Wagner said that 100 direct new
jobs and an estimated 300 indirect
jobs would be created through the
construction phase. In the operation
phase another 160 jobs would come to
Toowoomba and the region.
“There are huge economic benefits
going forward,” said Joyce. “Current
from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane estimates in the first year of operation
direct to London and direct to New is that the gross regional product will
the Qantas Pilot Academy will York. That will need a lot of pilots into be $34 million. We are confident our
the future and we are getting ourselves world-class facilities will enhance
the training opportunities for our
qantas/ l3 But there’s a longer-term objective. future airline pilots. This decision
“Our intention is within a few years by the Qantas Group highlights that
to get this facility up to at least 250 when the private sector, Australia’s
pilots and within a few years to have a national carrier, the Queensland State
second facility that can do the same… Government and our local council
so 500 pilots. At that stage we will be work cohesively, we can achieve a
selling those places or encouraging long-term economically sustainable
that commercial activity for overseas future for our regional communities”.
pilots. That’s when we should be That message was echoed by
making a return out of it. We do Queensland Premier Annastacia
believe the prime objective here first Palaszczuk at the Wellcamp
of all is to get this up and running for launch. “The Q in Qantas stands for
Qantas and Australian pilots but it is Queensland and it’s clear that home is
a great opportunity to train overseas where Qantas’s heart is,” she said.
[pilots]. And as you know the Qantas That may be so but while the
reputation is second to none in the Premier said everything would be
selection and training of pilots. done to try to also attract the second
“So, we think that is a sellable academy to Queensland – specifically
asset for Queensland, for Australia Mackay – that would seem unlikely.
and that’s something that the country Qantas will certainly be keen to spread
should be pretty proud of and will some of the love around to another
be willing to invest in. This academy state.
NOVEMBER 2018 33