“This is a fantastic milestone for the Coffs Harbour community,” Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said. “The upgrade means the Coffs Harbour airport now has the capacity to handle more planes, and bigger planes.

“Ultimately the investment will see greater capacity for business travel and tourists, boosting visitation, and in turn generating spending in the local economy.”

The NSW Government contributed $5,100,000 towards the upgrade of Coffs Harbour airport through the Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

As part of the upgrade, the main passenger apron has been strengthened and augmented to handle five large aircraft instead of four and heavier aircraft, such as the B737 and A320, which carry up to 220 passengers. In addition, the arrivals concourse has been extended with extra amenities, an extra check-in counter and relocation of the Qantas lounge and staff and office quarters.

Member for Coffs Harbour Andrew Fraser said this project has increased the airport’s capacity and unlocked constraints on the use of the latest passenger aircraft.

“Coffs Harbour Regional Airport is one of the busiest and largest regional airports in NSW, connecting over 350,000 passengers to major hubs and rural areas each year,” Mr Fraser said.

“By upgrading the airport we are improving services for passengers and attracting more flights into the region. Increased visitation to the airport will grow our tourism sector which is anticipated to grow by two per cent annually.

“Over a 30-year period, this project will bring in $11,600,000 of additional visitor expenditure, making us more competitive against Byron Bay and the Gold Coast,” he said.

Coffs Harbour City Council also contributed $1,400,000 to this project.

The Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund has provided $78 million in funding to 30 projects that support the growth of the tourism industry across regional NSW.