Speaking in Federal Parliament today, Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon called on the NSW Government to get behind Cessnock City Council’s bid to host the proposed Qantas Pilot Academy.
Mr Fitzgibbon told Parliament Cessnock was the natural choice for Qantas. It has the aerodrome, it’s close to Sydney and it has the appropriate infrastructure to attract the project.
“I spoke with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce in Canberra about Cessnock’s bid yesterday. It is clear we are in the running but what I learned is that NSW Government support for our bid will be crucial,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
The pilot academy will be capable of training up to 500 pilots a year, to help meet the increasing need for skilled aviators in one of the fastest growing global industries.
Time is of the essence, as Qantas want the Pilot Academy up and running in 2019.
“We'd be talking about literally hundreds of trainees each year going through the school…that would be a significant economic boost for any township or local community,” Mr Fitzgibbon said in the Parliament.
On behalf of the Hunter community, Mr Fitzgibbon is calling on the NSW Government to invest in the additional infrastructure and offer the support needed to ensure we are best placed to secure this valuable economic boost.
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