David Eyre 25 August 2015 Copyright © David Eyre
A consortium comprising of AMP Capital and Infrastructure Capital Group (ICG) is to lease Port Hedland International Airport for 50 years, in a deal worth $205 million.
The Town of Port Hedland voted to accept the offer, which includes a $165 million one-off payment to the Town and a mandatory commitment to spend $40 million over the next five years on airport upgrades. This was more than the $137 million – $157 million that the Town expected to raise from the lease.
The consortium plans to improve and extend the airport’s terminal and taxiways. The Town of Port Hedland also hopes that they will push for reduced airfares and new routes to international destinations.
AMP Capital also manages Melbourne Tullamarine Airport in Victoria, Launceston Airport in Tasmania and Newcastle Airport in the UK.
Port Hedland International Airport is vital for supporting the resources industry and the huge port.
Current airlines operating flights to and from Port Hedland are:
- Airnorth: Embraer E170 from Karratha, departs to Broome.
- Alliance Airlines: Fokker 100s on mining FIFO charters to Newman
- Casair: Swearingen Metro II from Jandakot, departs to Karratha
- Qantas: Boeing 737-800s to Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane
- QantasLink: Fokker 100s to Perth, plus mining FIFO charters to Cloudbreak (Dave Forrest) and Christmas Creek – FIFO; Boeing 717s to Broome and Perth
- Virgin Australia: Boeing 737-800s to Perth; plus one B737-800 international flight each Saturday to Bali (Denpasar).
- Virgin Australia Regional Airlines: Fokker 100s to Perth.
