Cairns International Airport has called a new duty free tender with a contract submission closure date of 25 August 2016.

 

Management at Australia’s seventh busiest airport says it is seeking ‘an experienced duty free operator to provide high quality goods and services which enhance the visitor’s experience of Cairns Airport and the Great Barrier Reef region’.

 

As of now, the airport handles direct international flights to and from Auckland, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Port Moresby, with additional seasonal services to and from Shanghai and Seoul – with the latter service beginning in December of this year.

 

General Manager Commercial, Fiona Ward also points to ‘stunning figures for international passenger growth at Cairns Airport as several new aviation services came on line’.

 

POTENTIAL CUSTOMER BASE

Looking back at the year ending May 2016, she says Terminal 1 welcomed 697,000 passengers all eligible to make duty free purchases, representing a 22% rise equivalent to 127,000 passengers.

 

She added: “We’ve seen particularly strong growth in transit passengers. They comprise 10% of the individual passengers through T1 and their numbers have increased 40% in the past year with the new services coming online.

 

 

“Among those we have welcomed in the past 15 months is the SilkAir service from Singapore. This originally triangulated with Darwin, but after the first year of operation is now delinked to provide fully direct flights.

 

“This service brings travellers from Singapore, Europe and South East Asia, as well as connecting with the burgeoning Indian visitor market. Jetstar commenced direct flights to Bali which are proving popular not only with local holidaymakers, but as a connecting service for overseas visitors –particularly Europeans.

 

“Philippine Airlines are operating flights from Manila through to Auckland via Cairns, adding a completely new city pair, as well as providing a year round link with New Zealand, to build on the existing seasonal Air New Zealand service.”

 

GROWING ROUTE NETWORK

Ward added that Hong Kong Airlines also began a seasonal service in January this year and in May it become year round, adding to the long-standing Hong Kong service provided by Cathay Pacific and significantly extending Cairns’ connection into the Mainland China visitor market. The Cathay service also carries many passengers to and from Europe and other parts of Asia.

 

By contrast, Jetstar operates direct flights from both Tokyo and Osaka, while the Port Moresby route is serviced by both Air Niugini and Qantaslink where the focus is on resources industry and government related travel.

 

 

In addition, Ward said that the China Eastern seasonal service from Shanghai and the recently announced JinAir seasonal service from Seoul provide connections for ‘many thousands of passengers’ to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region, which is becoming an increasingly popular destination for the Asian New Year period.

 

“We look forward to welcoming the successful new duty free tenderer to Cairns Airport to help us provide our international passengers with an excellent experience as they arrive and depart Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region,” said Ward, who also thanked JR/Duty Free for its works since winning the concession back in March 2012.

 

DEPARTURES AND ARRIVAL SHOPS

The duty free operator runs the departure and arrivals stores at Cairns and introduced the very first walk-through duty free departures store at Cairns Airport. [Last month it also welcomed its five millionth passengers for the very first time in the year-to-date ending June-Ed].

 

“JR/Duty Free has enhanced Cairns Airport duty free offer over the past four years to meet the unique demands of our existing and new international markets,” said Ward.

 

Any companies interested in receiving more details on this tender should contact Diane Owens, Business Development Manager Commercial NQA, at: [email protected] or by tel at +61 467 062 187.