Cairns Airport has been crowned Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards, for the second year in a row.
The team’s flood recovery efforts in December 2023 were a major contributor, along with a series of other key community initiatives and infrastructure developments over the last 12 months.
The award was announced at a black-tie event held in Sydney last night (Thursday), attended by hundreds of aviation industry stakeholders from across Australia.
Cairns Airport Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker said it was incredible to take home Airport of the Year for a second year in a row.
“I’m very proud of the team at Cairns Airport for their commitment to the region and industry,” he said.
“This dedication is what enabled Cairns Airport to reopen our aerodrome so rapidly after last year’s unprecedented flooding. Our team displayed mammoth determination and resilience, and in doing so produced an exceptional outcome for our community and stakeholders.
“We were able to support emergency services during the critical recovery time and connect customers with loved ones before the festive season.”
Judges also factored in:
- Cairns Airport’s $55 million international terminal redevelopment, with key enhancements for customer comfort and access
- Commencement of the Eastern Aviation Precinct, presenting significant opportunity for local operators and industries
- Growth in freight opportunities, including the significant cargo capacity of Singapore Airlines’ A350 and the opening of the Regional Trade Distribution Centre (RTDC)
- Landmark CleanCo Queensland agreement, enabling carbon-neutral operations by 2025
- Key partnerships, including sponsorship of IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns (The Cairns event was named the best IRONMAN race globally in 2023, by participants)
- Employment and training initiatives, including support for the Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (LAME) cadetship and highly popular Cairns Airport Careers Day
- Continued progress on the groundbreaking Sustainability Linked Loan (first business in Australia to integrate biodiversity as an operational target)
- Dedicated waste sortation program, which has led to literal tonnes of recycling being recovered from waste and saved from landfill
Mr Barker said: “Cairns Airport’s company purpose is defined as - sustainably grow our aviation-related business to support the growth of our community.”
“Community lies at the heart of everything we do and we are motivated by this commitment every day. This is illustrated by the wide-ranging initiatives recognised through this award.”
“I would like to thank Australian Aviation for hosting last night’s ceremony and acknowledge the high calibre of nominations from other airports across Australia.”