THE absence of a multi-million dollar piece of equipment to assist aircraft land in challenging conditions has contributed to Albury not making the shortlist for the Qantas pilot academy.
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Qantas released its shortlist of nine airports in the mix to be home for the flying school, which will train 100 pilots in its first year, on Friday with the Albury bid involving neighbouring aerodromes at Corowa, Yarrawonga and Tocumwal missing out.
An instrument landing system (ILS), which was installed at the Gold Coast airport last year for a reported $10 million, was one of Qantas’ pre-requisites for a flying school.
Wagga airport has one because of its RAAF presence and made the shortlist along with Alice Springs, Bendigo, Busselton, Dubbo, Launceston, Mackay, Tamworth and Toowoomba.
Albury mayor Kevin Mack confirmed the infrastructure short-coming in its application.
“We would have to source federal funding to upgrade our existing guidance system to cater for their extra needs,” he said.
“A part of the bidding process included capacity for bidders to include this request as a partnership opportunity with the federal government if successful.
“This was just one of many of the conditions included in the guidelines provided by Qantas in the expressions of interest process.
“They have an ILS at Wagga because of the RAAF because they need to fly in all sorts of conditions.”
Another to make the shortlist, Tamworth, also has the ILS equipment for RAAF pilot training purposes.
Cr Mack said Albury had not been told officially why it didn’t make the shortlist.
Criteria also included access to uncongested airspace, a certain number of clear weather days per year and infrastructure to support and accommodate up to 100 students in the first year of operation.
Qantas Group Pilot Academy executive manager Wes Nobelius said the airline was overwhelmed by the response to the training school EOI.
“Narrowing down the possible locations from more than 60 to just nine wasn’t easy,” he said.
“It will be harder still to whittle this down to just one.”
Farrer MP Sussan Ley said the region had submitted an excellent bid.
“So obviously I am disappointed,” she said.