Passenger numbers using the revitalised airport have soared in recent years.

That in turn has helped create new tourism markets and given Border residents easier access to overseas travel with regular flights to Melbourne and especially Sydney.

The latest upgrade, to the arrivals section, is a response to the confidence Albury Council has in the facility’s continued success, borne out by the fact airport income was up $500,000 in 2016-17.

The airport too is the site of a thriving commercial aviation precinct.

All these pluses mean Albury is well-placed should it decide to go ahead with a bid to become home for the Qantas flying school. Becoming the home for the training centre would certainly dwarf anything else to have gone ahead on the site, given that the intention of Qantas is to train up to 500 pilots a year.

That would have enormous benefit to Albury in many ways, including the construction phase – it is said there would be an initial $20 million investment – and in the economic spin-off for the wider community.

As entrepreneur and aviator Dick Smith pointed out to The Border Mail, the benefits would simply be “huge”.

As he says: “It’s the best news I’ve heard in 20 years that Qantas are not only going to train pilots for their own airline, but they will train pilots who can then go out and get a job for any airline.

“Places like Albury can benefit and I would imagine the council should be getting a letter into Qantas saying ‘come to Albury’.” Of course it will require much more than sending off a letter.

If Albury truly wants to give itself the best shot of even being considered, a considerable amount of planning would need to be done.

The city has to show how it meets all the criteria for the centre, then how it would even exceed those benchmarks.

Albury has to stand out. But given the role already played in pilot training on the Border, this is an achievable goal.

And no doubt there are many in the local aviation industry who would concur with the view that Albury would be well-placed to be the training centre’s home.

It has to be right so if Albury truly wants to win-out, the hard work needs to start and it needs to start as soon as possible.