International Destinations for NTL

[Bajar]

With 2025 apparently being the year Newcastle (NTL) begins regular, scheduled international flights, I am wondering if anyone would be brave enough to hazard a guess as to the first destinations.

Rumours of Nadi (FJ), Kuala Lumpur (MAS) and Port Vila (JQ) are doing the rounds around town. I think KL might be the only sustainable option, though.

What are your thoughts? Given the airports financial situation, I can see things being fairly muted when it opens.

 

[Princess Fiona]

With 2025 apparently being the year Newcastle (NTL) begins regular, scheduled international flights, I am wondering if anyone would be brave enough to hazard a guess as to the first destinations.

Rumours of Nadi (FJ), Kuala Lumpur (MAS) and Port Vila (JQ) are doing the rounds around town. I think KL might be the only sustainable option, though.

What are your thoughts? Given the airports financial situation, I can see things being fairly muted when it opens.

Considering they won’t be able to handle anything bigger than a 737 as they ran out of money for the apron upgrades I wouldn’t be holding my breath for KL.

 

[moa999]

Much like prior attempts, at best I see a few days a week to AKL.

And AI gets very confused

Several airlines operate international flights from Newcastle Airport in Australia, including:

• British Airways: A premium airline that flies to London–Heathrow
• Corendon Airlines: A seasonal airline that flies to Antalya
• easyJet: An airline that flies to Amsterdam, Belfast, Bristol, Paris, and other destinations
• Emirates: An airline that flies to Dubai
• Norwegian Airlines: An airline that flies to Copenhagen

 

[justinbrett]

I hadn’t heard they’d run out of money for the terminal upgrade project as I no longer live there. I asked my contact for an update and he says NAPL are in deep financial strife and are barely maintaining domestic ops. The loss of the JQ base was a big hit.

The only sustainable, viable route I can see is NTL-AKL and only if operated by NZ (and hence offer connections elsewhere in the network).

I don’t think they’d fill a Cessna going to VLI let alone an A320. Anything to Asia is a pipe dream at this stage.

 

[Forg]

Considering they won’t be able to handle anything bigger than a 737 as they ran out of money for the apron upgrades I wouldn’t be holding my breath for KL.

Would some of the newer about-737-sized aircraft reach southeast Asian places though?
Stuff like the longer range A220’s & A320’s?
Or does making it that far mean not carrying many people, and hence not worth it from Newcastle?
The Bonza thing makes me think that maybe the conventional wisdom about small regional airports only really being viable with small regional aircraft could be totally correct (and possibly with fares that don’t look such great value if distance-per-dollar is compared to a QF or VA BNE-HBA fare for example).

 

[elanshin]

Would some of the newer about-737-sized aircraft reach southeast Asian places though?
Stuff like the longer range A220’s & A320’s?
Or does making it that far mean not carrying many people, and hence not worth it from Newcastle?
The Bonza thing makes me think that maybe the conventional wisdom about small regional airports only really being viable with small regional aircraft could be totally correct (and possibly with fares that don’t look such great value if distance-per-dollar is compared to a QF or VA BNE-HBA fare for example).

737-M8 or A321 XLR can reach but why would any airline fly to NTL over SYD right now from South East Asia with brand new planes.

In the medium to long run NTL as a northern greater sydney airport makes loads of sense especially if a High Speed rail connection is built. But right now it's kind of in a very rough spot.

Any airline that can't get into SYD but would consider NTL is likely just going to wait it out for WSI.

 

[Lynda2475]

There won't ever be high speed rail link to NTL.

 

[Forg]

… and even if it did, what elanshin said about WSI’s existence in a few short years would kick it’s viability pretty heavily.

 

[elanshin]

There won't ever be high speed rail link to NTL.

Ever is a very strong word.

There will at some point exist. Just a question of 5 years, 10 years, 20 years , 50 years etc.

Its one of the fastest growing cities in this country and has a business case that passes every economic case. Basically there's very little pushback against syd - Newcastle except government budget. This isn't syd to mel HSR

 

[Forg]

It’s more likely airlines would expect people to fly into a Sydney airport and catch a fast train to Newcastle, than a fast train connection would be built from Newcastle to it’s airport … IMHO.

 

[elanshin]

I hazard a guess they'll need to apply for a name change to "Sydney - Newcastle Airport" if they want to attract international LCC airlines (assuming a HSR is in place). Unless the population boom gets even bigger and Newcastle has 2m + residents in the future.

 

[SYD]

There won't ever be high speed rail link to NTL.

OT, but there’s bipartisan support at Federal and State level to make Sydney - Newcastle happen.

High-speed rail office opens in Newcastle

High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) has officially opened its office in Newcastle today, establishing the city as the birthplac

minister.infrastructure.gov.au

I won’t hold my breath for SYD-MEL (but maybe SYD-CBR could happen if NTL goes ahead.

On topic, I would have thought NAN could be a contender?

 

[Forg]

OT, but there’s bipartisan support at Federal and State level to make Sydney - Newcastle happen.

Williamstown is a fair way outta Newcastle though … and in concept, the train would kinda/sorta be replacing driving or flying, so I don’t know if an extension to Newcastle airport makes that much sense?

 

[SYD]

Williamstown is a fair way outta Newcastle though … and in concept, the train would kinda/sorta be replacing driving or flying, so I don’t know if an extension to Newcastle airport makes that much sense?

I was responding to the comment on HSR between Sydney and Newcastle (City) not necessarily NTL.

 

[Lynda2475]

OT, but there’s bipartisan support at Federal and State level to make Sydney - Newcastle happen.

I said NTL, which as you know is in Williamtown not Newcastle. Have read nothing re HSR to NTL, and with so few flights it will never make sense.

On topic, I would have thought NAN could be a contender?

Why? I not sure if there is demand for more capacity to Fiji, and if there is that it would be coming from Newcastle area. Fiji has gotten quite expensive post covid.

There may be demand enough for limited AKL services from NTL, but I'd expect the government would be more likely to encourage any new budget holiday routes go to WSI as they need to convince people to go there. And possibly use NTL for weather diversions.

 

[Saab34]

I think peak season NTL-DPS say 3/4 weekly 320N would work. Fairly sure it’s open slather when it comes to DPS and regionals.

Perhaps one for Virgin seeing they blew the last few DPS applications.

 

[justinbrett]

I think a fast train between Newcastle and Sydney would make NTL redundant. RAAF would be glad to see the end of civilian ops there as they are quite disruptive, and contrary to popular belief it is not a joint user base - it is solely a military airfield. Civil ops are very much restrained.

Williamstown is a fair way outta Newcastle though … and in concept, the train would kinda/sorta be replacing driving or flying, so I don’t know if an extension to Newcastle airport makes that much sense?

Williamstown is in Melbourne, it's Williamtown in Newcastle. The rail goes quite close, Hexham is about 14Km from the airport.

I don't think any leisure route is going to work as it's always going to be cheaper to go down to SYD to get a cheap flight. Why on earth would FJ fly to NTL when it can just add another flight to SYD? However there is a lot of government / Defence / aerospace business which means a US route via AKL might have some legs, but even then it's a stretch to get the scale. If supplemented with leisure to AKL maybe it would work, but past history on the route is pretty grim.

I hazard a guess they'll need to apply for a name change to "Sydney - Newcastle Airport" if they want to attract international LCC airlines (assuming a HSR is in place). Unless the population boom gets even bigger and Newcastle has 2m + residents in the future.

They already can't decide between Newcastle, Williamtown and Port Stephens.

The airfield is called Williamtown and the IATA says it's Newcastle Williamtown airport. I think Jetstar calls it Newcastle - Port Stephens.

 

[elanshin]

They already can't decide between Newcastle, Williamtown and Port Stephens.

The airfield is called Williamtown and the IATA says it's Newcastle Williamtown airport. I think Jetstar calls it Newcastle - Port Stephens.

Yeh but if the goal is to attract people overseas, i think you somehow have to be "Sydney" (even though its 150+ km out)

 

[travelislife]

I said NTL, which as you know is in Williamtown not Newcastle. Have read nothing re HSR to NTL, and with so few flights it will never make sense.


Why? I not sure if there is demand for more capacity to Fiji, and if there is that it would be coming from Newcastle area. Fiji has gotten quite expensive post covid.

There may be demand enough for limited AKL services from NTL, but I'd expect the government would be more likely to encourage any new budget holiday routes go to WSI as they need to convince people to go there. And possibly use NTL for weather diversions.

Fiji Airlines are doing well in developing themselves as a hub so they aren’t just targeting Fiji only travellers (though airport capacity is an issue for them to grow that angle). Unlike DPS which as a transit hub is cough, but has a lot more airlines flying in to it.

 

[DC3]

NTL-HBA