November 24, 2015
A business delegation from the South and North Burnett was on hand at Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport on Monday to witness the arrival of the first international flight into Australia’s newest airport.
The Cathay Pacific 747-8 cargo plane touched down about 2:30pm and was welcomed by a water cannon salute.
It was then loaded with freight, including chilled beef to Hong Kong, frozen beef to Shanghai and lettuce, pecans and mangoes from south-east Queensland, before taking off for Hong Kong.
Wagners chairman and airport developer John Wagner said the flight had opened the door to direct access for the region to the Asian market.
“Today is an historic day and we hope to work with Cathay Pacific to secure scheduled services out of Wellcamp,” Mr Wagner said.
He said local producers should be commended for taking advantage of the opportunity provided by one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers.
“These are exciting times for local farmers and we anticipate endless possibilities for our region. The future has never been brighter,” he said.
“International flights from Wellcamp would give local producers faster access to their key markets. For many it would mean the difference between a next day delivery and having to send produce first to ports like Sydney.”
Cathay Pacific Airways, Southwest Pacific general manager Nelson Chin said the flight had attracted a great deal of interest from local freight forwarders.
“It is exciting to see so much highly sought after produce and equipment on board this special flight,” he said.
The airport could handle livestock exports in future, with a pre-export quarantine facility on the property and B-double and road train access direct into the cargo terminal.
A perishable goods handling facility is also under development.
Related articles
- First Cargo Flight To China
- More QantasLink Flights To Sydney
- Western Flights Take Off At Wellcamp
- Business Must Unlock Wellcamp Potential
- Businesses To Explore Wellcamp Opportunities
- MP Predicts Growth In Exports
- Aviation Training Campus To Be Based At Wellcamp
- Open Day At New Airport
- Qantas Signs Wellcamp Deal
 |
 |
 |
 |
