CAIRNS TO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE BASE
Published Friday, 17 August, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Cairns is set to significantly increase its maintenance of international aircraft following a major contract awarded to Hawker Pacific’s local operation.
International aerospace company Bombardier has just approved Hawker Pacific’s Cairns
base as a Recognised Service Facility (RSF) for its Dash8/Q-Series series of aircraft.
Cairns is the only location with this endorsement in Australasia and a state government grant of $175,000 will help train staff for this specialised work.
State Development Minister John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle today congratulated Hawker Pacific on this major coup.
Ms Boyle said: “Bombardier Aerospace is a major player in aviation. This Canadian-based company has more than 27,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of $8.2 billion US a year.
“Bombardier came to Cairns, checked out Hawker Pacific and were impressed with what they saw.
“To get this stamp of approval is great news for Cairns’ growing reputation as an aviation hub.
“This will boost the skills base in Cairns, create more local jobs and pump up the economy.
“To understand the significance of this new contract you need to understand the growing importance of the Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft.
“They are a twin turbo-prop aircraft used by regional airlines and can carry up to 78 passengers. The new models are quiet and nearly as fast as jets. Their major advantage is that they are about 30% more fuel efficient than jets. With oil prices increasing, regional airlines throughout the world are expanding their use of Dash 8s.
“There are many airlines throughout Australasia operating Dash 8/Q-Series. Until now Bombardier’s only recognised service facilities have been in the US and the UK.
“Now there will be Cairns and there is enormous potential for airlines throughout Asia to send their Dash 8/Q-Series here for heavy maintenance,” Ms Boyle said.
While visiting Hawker Pacific Ms Boyle announced the State Government would provide $175,000 to the company to help staff gain the necessary accreditation to work on the sophisticated electronic cockpits of the latest Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft.
Mr Mickel said: “The State Government’s Centres of Enterprise initiative identified aviation as a key growth industry for Cairns and the Far North and this funding is a perfect example of the Government’s move towards more strategic activities with very clear economic benefits.
“The contract for servicing and maintaining the Dash 8/Q-Series will only serve to attract greater attention to our high tech capabilities in aviation.
“It is clear that aviation has the potential to generate significant economic returns for Cairns and the Far North and that is why aviation has been identified as one of our first priorities,” Mr Mickel said.
Ms Boyle said naming Cairns and the Far North as a Centre of Enterprise was a way to focus both State Government and regional industry and community efforts on economic development – building on the regional development activities of recent years.
Hawker Pacific opened a $9 million service centre in Cairns in 2005 with the assistance of Invest Queensland. The company now employs 100 staff and turns over more than $20 million a year.
Hawker Pacific and the wholly owned subsidiary Australian Avionics combine an integrated avionics and mechanical workshop under one roof. Avionics Australia has been operating since 1989 and today is recognised as being in the top 1 per cent of avionics companies worldwide.
Hawker Pacific also has Queensland operations at Brisbane, Oakey (Military) and Townsville.
Minister Boyle contact: 3224 7081
Minister Mickel contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Company contact: Ed Chard, Sales Manager MRO, 02 9708 8599, Belinda Gannon, Vice President – MRO Commercial, 02 9708 8653.
17 August, 2007
International aerospace company Bombardier has just approved Hawker Pacific’s Cairns
base as a Recognised Service Facility (RSF) for its Dash8/Q-Series series of aircraft.
Cairns is the only location with this endorsement in Australasia and a state government grant of $175,000 will help train staff for this specialised work.
State Development Minister John Mickel and Member for Cairns Desley Boyle today congratulated Hawker Pacific on this major coup.
Ms Boyle said: “Bombardier Aerospace is a major player in aviation. This Canadian-based company has more than 27,000 employees worldwide and annual revenues of $8.2 billion US a year.
“Bombardier came to Cairns, checked out Hawker Pacific and were impressed with what they saw.
“To get this stamp of approval is great news for Cairns’ growing reputation as an aviation hub.
“This will boost the skills base in Cairns, create more local jobs and pump up the economy.
“To understand the significance of this new contract you need to understand the growing importance of the Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft.
“They are a twin turbo-prop aircraft used by regional airlines and can carry up to 78 passengers. The new models are quiet and nearly as fast as jets. Their major advantage is that they are about 30% more fuel efficient than jets. With oil prices increasing, regional airlines throughout the world are expanding their use of Dash 8s.
“There are many airlines throughout Australasia operating Dash 8/Q-Series. Until now Bombardier’s only recognised service facilities have been in the US and the UK.
“Now there will be Cairns and there is enormous potential for airlines throughout Asia to send their Dash 8/Q-Series here for heavy maintenance,” Ms Boyle said.
While visiting Hawker Pacific Ms Boyle announced the State Government would provide $175,000 to the company to help staff gain the necessary accreditation to work on the sophisticated electronic cockpits of the latest Dash 8/Q-Series aircraft.
Mr Mickel said: “The State Government’s Centres of Enterprise initiative identified aviation as a key growth industry for Cairns and the Far North and this funding is a perfect example of the Government’s move towards more strategic activities with very clear economic benefits.
“The contract for servicing and maintaining the Dash 8/Q-Series will only serve to attract greater attention to our high tech capabilities in aviation.
“It is clear that aviation has the potential to generate significant economic returns for Cairns and the Far North and that is why aviation has been identified as one of our first priorities,” Mr Mickel said.
Ms Boyle said naming Cairns and the Far North as a Centre of Enterprise was a way to focus both State Government and regional industry and community efforts on economic development – building on the regional development activities of recent years.
Hawker Pacific opened a $9 million service centre in Cairns in 2005 with the assistance of Invest Queensland. The company now employs 100 staff and turns over more than $20 million a year.
Hawker Pacific and the wholly owned subsidiary Australian Avionics combine an integrated avionics and mechanical workshop under one roof. Avionics Australia has been operating since 1989 and today is recognised as being in the top 1 per cent of avionics companies worldwide.
Hawker Pacific also has Queensland operations at Brisbane, Oakey (Military) and Townsville.
Minister Boyle contact: 3224 7081
Minister Mickel contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
Company contact: Ed Chard, Sales Manager MRO, 02 9708 8599, Belinda Gannon, Vice President – MRO Commercial, 02 9708 8653.
17 August, 2007