Jandakot Airport

Presentation By
The Jandakot Airport Chamber of Commerce
September 5th 2006

Briefing Document for
The Hon. Warren Truss, MP
Minister for Transport and Regional Services

Summary

• Jandakot Airport is under threat of relocation to a remote site by the new property development owners of the airport's Commonwealth Lease.
  

• In your response to our letters on this issue, you advised that you "will not agree to any proposal that disadvantages general aviation in the Perth area".
  

• The Jandakot Airport Chamber of Commerce (JACC) representing the industry does not support this proposed relocation.
  

• The rationale given by the property developers for relocating the airport does not reflect reality.
  

• The airport users would like assurances that Jandakot will remain Perth's premier General Aviation airport for the foreseeable future.
  

Who Does The Chamber Represent

• Jandakot Airport is the largest and most successful GA airport in Australia.
  

• The JACC represents the views of 65 organisations who have worked hard to build this into the most successful GA enterprise in the nation.
  

• They encompass 11 training organisations including China Southern and Singapore Airlines Flying Colleges; The Royal Aero Club of WA, the world's largest flying club at 30,000 hours p.a.
  

• Emergency Services providers including the RFDS, FESA and Police Air Wing.
  

• The world's largest aerial & geophysical mapping company, Fugro, WA's largest aerospace defence contractor, Airflite.
  

• A myriad of supporting aviation infrastructure services in maintenance, engineering, avionics, training etc. from small businesses to large organisations e.g. Hawker Pacific.
  

How Important is the Airport

• Jandakot airport movements at 415,000 for 2005-6 have recovered during the last 10 years. Prior to privatisation movements did reach 460,000.
  

• There are over 900 full time employees.
  

• The organisations at the airport inject over $300 Million into the local economy.
  

• Export income generated comes close to $80 million with one overseas training organisation alone generating $25 Million in export income.
  

• Close on 36% of all new Commercial Pilot's Licences issued in Australia come from Jandakot based training colleges.
  

• The airport is used for servicing Regional WA and retention of the airport at it's existing location is supported by the Farmers Federation & Pastoralists & Graziers.
  

• The airport is the main base for the RFDS in WA. Hospital infrastructure has been designed around the location.
  

• From a tourism perspective, the airport is extensively used for regional flights to tourist destinations.
  

Background

• Jandakot was planned as Perth's General Aviation Airport in 1955. It is located on a water mound as this area was considered unsuitable for housing and commercial development.
  

• It was purpose built by the Commonwealth in 1964 and is the most modern GA airfield in Australia.
  

• At an area of 622 hectares it incorporates a big buffer zone, is within 30 minutes of the CBD and has well designed airspace with control zones between Perth & Jandakot divided by the Swan River.
  

• It was designed with Perth Airport and Pearce RAAF airfields already in existence. With the introduction of jet aircraft with incompatible speeds and wake turbulence, light aircraft needed their own airfield.
  

• Jandakot was privatised on July 1 1998. Jandakot Airport Holdings (JAH) bid successfully for the Commonwealth lease.
  

• In January 2006, the ownership of JAH changed with Ascot Capital, a property development company, taking control.
  

• On June 15th 2006 the airport stakeholders learnt in the press that the new owners of the airport lease proposed to relocate the airport to Keysbrook, a rural location 75 - 80 Kms south of Perth. There was no consultation with Jandakot stakeholders until August creating considerable uncertainty.
  

• The rationale for relocating the airport was threefold
  

  • Safety
    

  • Capacity
    

  • Metro Location
    

Safety Issues

• Airspace in Perth has been well designed by Airservices and audited by CASA.
  

• Perth airspace has a lower level of VCA's (Violations of controlled airpace) than Melbourne or Sydney.
  

• Runway incursions at Jandakot are minimal by global standards; 1 incursion per 40,000 movements.
  

• The traffic separation standards for Perth airspace meet all mandated requirements.
  

• A question has been raised regarding the impact of wake turbulence from the large A380 aircraft if they were to visit Perth. Airservices is aware of this situation and it will not impact adversely on Jandakot.
  

• The airspace in the Perth basin has been well designed with three operational airports in use for the past 42 years. We believe the department, CASA & Airservices are better judges of safety issues than a property developer.
  

Capacity Issues

• The Airport Masterplan was signed off by the Minister in January this year. The members of the JACC fully accepted the Masterplan with an approved fourth runway and capacity of 512,000 movements.
  

• With implementation of the Masterplan, capacity is not an issue.
  

• Based on similar airports globally, the slated capacity is conservative. Van Nuys in Los Angeles USA is their biggest GA airport with 450,000 movements a year on just one runway vv Jandakot's 3 runways with a fourth planned.
  

• Looking out long-term, there will be a need in the future for an additional airport in Perth to cater for the requirements of a rapidly expanding state with strong regional infrastructure.
  

• For an additional airport, the logical planning option would be to look for a location north of Perth based on population.
  

Location Issues

• Jandakot is in a well planned location providing easy access to the CBD, Perth Airport, hospitals and emergency services.
  

• It defeats the purpose of having a capital city GA airport if it is located circa 1 hour's drive from the city and it's customer base.
  

• Regional WA flys into an airport with easy access to the city.
  

• The logical conclusion of arguing that airports must not be close to their capital cities is that each time a city expands the airport must move.
  

• Airports like ports and highways are an integral part of the transport infrastructure. Long term planning surrounds them. In the case of Jandakot, the roads, commercial & residential plans all included the airport from 1955.
  

Rationale for Relocation

• On the three main reasons given for moving the airport <|Safety Capacity Location there is no case to answer.
  Jandakot is a safe airport.
  

• There are no capacity constraints if the new owners of the lease implement the approved Masterplan.
  Capital city airports need to be close to the cities they serve.
  

• It is our belief that the new owners of the airport took control of the lease with the primary goal of property development, not that of running an airport in line with the Airports Act and the Commonwealth Head Lease.