Fly-In Fly-Out from Port Pirie Airport
Council is keen to maximise the opportunity for Fly-In-Fly-Out from the Port Pirie Airport. As a result it commissioned a report to outline the options available for upgrading the Port Pirie Airport to handle 50 seater planes together with the estimated capital costs to achieve this. The report identified options from a gravel extension to the existing runway costing $500,000 to a full seal runway widening and extension costing $2.5 million.
Council also commissioned Aurecon to undertake a demand study to determine the feasibility and interest of providing Fly-In-Fly-Out services from Port Pirie. The study involved obtaining the views of mining companies, air charter companies and potential mining employees living in the region on Fly-In-Fly-Out from Port Pirie. The Aurecon report was tabled at the October 2012 meeting of Council.
Unfortunately the report indicated that due to the current economic climate, there was insufficient demand for Fly-In-Fly-Out services from Port Pirie.
Council resolved to defer any decision relating to the upgrade of the airport, pending an improvement in economic conditions. Council will keep a watching brief on the demand for Fly-In-Fly-Out from Port Pirie as well as access the bus-in-bus-out options to a number of mines within 2 hours of Port Pirie.
