Business View Oceania - May 2024

have any major changes planned for the near or long-term future? The AAA is a small but influential team. The main priorities of the AAA are of course our members; we will continue to lead through targeted and strategic policy and research, data analysis, and technical advice. We will advocate for and on behalf of our members to governments, to the Opposition, through the media and other key stakeholders. We will also continue to educate our members through our annual National Conference and through other industry events such as the Pavements and Lighting Forum which was held on the Gold Coast in May, online education courses, and professional development opportunities. Our sector’s top issue currently is the fight to recover from ongoing impacts of the pandemic. Australia’s aviation industry was hit first, hit hard, and will be one of the last to recover, with airports still collectively losing $300 million of a revenue a month due to continued lockdowns and state border closures resulting from the spread of the Delta variant of the virus. More than 75% of the workforce lost their job, were put on reduced hours, or were moved to another sector. Once Australia’s vaccination levels increase and our nation begins to reopen, our advocacy efforts will shift to working with our government, so that we can slowly and safely reopen Australia’s international border and kick start the domestic tourism economy. 3.What does the landscape look like for the aviation industry over the coming decade, and how important is commercial, international, and general aviation to the economy of Australia? How will the Australian Airports Association continue to be a viable voice for the industry? Domestic passenger numbers at airports in May 2021 were sitting in their strongest position since the pandemic began; 70% of pre-COVID levels. The outbreak of the virus’s Delta variant across the states of New South Wales and Victoria has taken the airport sector back to square one, with domestic passenger numbers at our major airports dropping to just 20% with some airports experiencing passenger numbers as low as 3%. This sharp decline was felt in a matter of weeks and shows the fragility of recovery in our sector.While a strong domestic tourismmarket is important, it will never fill the gap of international visitors. The fact remains that overseas tourists spend three times more than domestic travellers, and the reality is, until international borders reopen, Australia will continue to lose $250 million from the economy every day. The Australian Government has agreed to a four- phase plan to slowly and safely reopen our nation to the world with states and territories due to open borders and reduce lockdowns once 80% of the eligible population are fully vaccinated. Australian airports are currently working with all levels of government to provide assistance as preparation begins on a safe, risk-based, and phased approach to opening our international border, so that we can continue to support the broader James Goodwin, CEO 72 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 05