SOUTHERN Downs Regional Council will host the inaugural Mayor’s Leadership Breakfast at Rupert’s Bar and Grill in Warwick next Wednesday, 7 December.
The theme of the breakfast is Making the Most of New Infrastructure and along with Mayor Tracy Dobie, the other keynote speaker will be Sara Hales, Wellcamp Airport’s community liaison on business development manager.
The breakfast follows the start this month of an international weekly scheduled air cargo service out of Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport by Cathay Pacific Airways.
The 747-8F service between Toowoomba and Hong Kong – Southern Queensland’s only scheduled international air freight-only service – started on Tuesday 22 November.
Wagner’s global chairman and airport developer John Wagner welcomed the news, which he described as “a major coup” for not only the airport but for Queensland’s primary producers and exporters.
“We are absolutely delighted Cathay Pacific has committed to operating a scheduled weekly Boeing 747-8F service out of the airport,” Mr Wagner said.
“The opportunities this creates for Queensland exporters to benefit from Australia’s free trade agreements and to access the world’s biggest consumer markets are unlimited.
“We are on the cusp of very exciting times and the reality for our multi-million-dollar agricultural and processing sectors is produce like chilled beef and other perishables will be able to fly direct to Asia from the region in which they are produced, creating both valuable first mile and cool chain efficiencies, and enabling significant capacity for the growth of trade.”
The announcement comes less than 12 months after Cathay Pacific Airways flew a Boeing 747-8F from Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport to Hong Kong on a ‘trial’ service.
The international scheduled weekly freight service will be operated on a Cathay Pacific 747-8F, which will initially depart from Sydney, then land in Melbourne, with a final stop in Toowoomba before the nine-hour direct flight to Hong Kong.
Menzies Aviation, in partnership with Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, will manage the ground handling and cargo terminal operations.
Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, which opened in November 2014, is Australia’s first privately-built public airport.
In addition to its upcoming freight operations, it also has 72 domestic regular passenger transport (RPT) services in and out of the airport every week.
The Mayor’s Leadership Breakfast at Rupert’s Bar and Grill in Warwick on Wednesday 7 December is at 6.30am for a 6.45am start and 8am finish.
Buy tickets for the breakfast online at www.warwicktickets.com.au. Tickets are $30 per person. Book with Jenny Sherrin at edu@sdrc.com.au.
