Air travel is now so common it can easily be taken for granted.
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Flying makes it easier to attend a work conference, to meet business clients in metropolitan areas, to attend a family wedding or to see that international event that will only tour the capitals.
People in other regional cities in NSW and Australia would be green with envy of the choice of destinations we have in Dubbo.
Not many regional cities can boast of the sort of air services that Dubbo City Regional Airport delivers to our region.
It really is wonderful to be able to book direct flights to Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle and Canberra as well as have a choice of early morning, mid-morning, lunchtime, afternoon and evening flights to Sydney.
The extensive services have taken time to build and develop.
Previous investment in the Dubbo City Regional Airport has enabled this growth ensuring the airport facilities were up to standard and there was the capacity to seize the opportunities that have come.
Dubbo Regional Council has continued with the Airport Working Party which the former Dubbo City Council had in place.
When I first became Chair of this working party in 2004 annual passenger numbers were around 120,000.
Annual passenger numbers climbed in 2004/2005 to 148,000 and the significant growth has continued with over 217,500 passengers flying in and out of Dubbo in 2016/2017.
The development of the airport for greater capacity and growth in flights and passengers as well as development in the airport precinct is also continuing.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) is partnering with the Dubbo Regional Council to build a state of the art training facility for NSW RFS volunteers and staff in Dubbo.
The Centre of Excellence will provide residential style training for RFS and other emergency services.
When complete, the training facility is to consist of accommodation for 100 people in separate apartment style accommodation blocks.
There will also be an office building with space for 30 people and auditorium/training space for up to 130 people and 150 car parking spaces.
The Runway Strengthening and Lighting Upgrade also under way will strengthen the runway surface so that it is suitable for Qantas Q400 aircraft and others in that size and weight category.
This project will prevent damage to the runway and extend the length of time before needing more upgrades.
It will also mean the runway can cope with more frequent, larger passenger services.
The future of air travel is bright and I believe demand will only continue to rise as people want to get to their destination quicker, spend less time travelling and be home from business meetings to spend more time with their families.
As more people realise the advantages of flying and look to take short holidays flying is an increasingly attractive option, if the price is right.
It is my personal belief that we need to start manoeuvring the airport business to attract flights with lower ticket prices.
As air travel is becoming more commonplace and not considered the luxury it once was passengers are expecting air travel to be more affordable with the ticket price more aligned with the service offered.
In my opinion airlines that realise they can grow the percentage of the population who would fly to Sydney and our other great destinations if there were to be cheaper ticket costs will be the ones to benefit from increasing demand from Dubbo.
As has been the case for the previous 10 years, I alongside the councillors on the Airport Working Party and council staff will meet with existing and potentially new industry partners to explore the possibilities for continuing to expand services from Dubbo City Regional Airport.
