Cairns Airport wants to handle a million international passengers per annum by 2015, according to information released by minority shareholder Auckland International Airport Ltd.Earlier this year Auckland Airport agreed to buy a 24.55 percent stake in Nor
Cairns Airport wants to handle a million international passengers per annum by 2015, according to information released by minority shareholder Auckland International Airport Ltd.
Earlier this year Auckland Airport agreed to buy a 24.55 percent stake in North Queensland Airports (NQA), the operator of Cairns and Mackay airports in Queensland.
Today it welcomed a decision by NQA to make new performance milestones available, including a forecast of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of $A45m ($NZ55m) this year, rising to $A55m in 2011 and $A75m in 2013.
"Since Auckland Airport became a minority shareholder in Cairns and Mackay Airports in early January 2010, we have been very aware that our own investors wanted to understand more of the financial and operational targets for this investment," Auckland Airport chief executive Simon Moutter said.
"Prior to the recent completion of a comprehensive business-planning process involving other NQA shareholders, it had not been possible to provide this information. Now that the full business planning process is complete, and NQA is in a position to do so, we welcome this opportunity to share with you their performance milestones and express our commitment to helping NQA deliver them."
The information shows Cairns and mackay airports expect to handle 3.92 million domestic passengers this year, rising to 4.2m in 2011 and 4.7m in 2013.
Cairns Airport currently handles 560,000 international passengers a year and forecasts this will rise to 640,000 by 2011, 830,000 by 2013 and to one million by 2015.
The annual New Zealand seat capacity at the airport will rise from 59,000 this year to 85,000 by 2011 and 140,000 by 2013.
