No Australian or New Zealand city currently has more than one commercial airport, but that is about to change. In Auckland, New Zealand's main gateway, there is a move to seek conversion of Whenuapai air force base on the city's north side into a second commercial airport for the city when the base closes.

Auckland's present airport south of the city disputes a claim that traffic congestion hampers access. It argues that the current airport is capable of handling passenger and cargo growth for another 50 years. New Zealand's defence force is due to give the government a recommendation on the air base's future during April.

The perennial debate over a second Sydney airport is on again with the opposition political party selecting a new site. Under pressure from Sydney residents angry about growing aircraft noise, the Labour party proposes a second airport at Wilton, farther south of Sydney than Badgerys Creek, which the government already owns but has effectively abandoned as an airport site.

John Murphy, Labour party MP, accuses the government of doing nothing while noise from Sydney's close-in airport grows worse. "Aircraft should be flying over cow paddocks and water and not over homes and schools," he says.

As the Sydney debate heats up, Qantas has announced that starting in May its new discount unit JetStar will use a secondary airport at Avalon on the western edge of Melbourne for some of its flights. It is also negotiating to use Richmond airport on Sydney's outskirts.

A startup discount carrier named OzJet, which proposes to launch BAe 146s flights, also hopes to use such secondary airports as Essendon or Moorabin in Melbourne, Archerfield in Brisbane, and Bankstown in Sydney. OzJet has not yet sought an operating licence, but chief executive Peter Schott claims its use of secondary airports will distinguish the new carrier from its rivals.

OzJet's plan to use Sydney's Bankstown airport has already drawn fire. The state's premier warns that Bankstown is in a densely populated area and local residents have "legitimate fears about a build-up in jet activity".

Source: Airline Business