NEWCASTLE Airport is ramping up its negotiations with airline carriers as it hopes to potentially open international routes to New Zealand, Fiji, Bali, Singapore and Malaysia.
On Thursday members of the Hunter Joint Organisation and media were given a guided tour of the $110 million international terminal expansion, which will more than double the size of the airport.
The concrete structure of the 8000 square-metre development is almost complete and work is underway on the structural steel installation and acoustic roof.
The terminal is scheduled for completion in winter 2025.
"We're hunting multiple destinations with multiple airlines and we're working hard on that," Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock said.
"We've flown to Auckland before and we know it works. People in this region are loving Cairns and the Whitsundays and Bali.
"We're the biggest population centre without a Bali route, so that's a no-brainer. We also want to get to Singapore, because once you get to Singapore, you kind of have the world.
"India is such a growing market and then you can also go to Europe."
A recent airport survey of 6300 people found Perth was the fifth most popular route for the Newcastle Airport catchment area, with 97 per cent stating they would likely travel to Western Australia if there was a direct route.
Around 60 per cent said they would travel through Perth to connect with international destinations. Last month Qantas began offering direct flights from Perth to Paris, joining their non-stop services to London and Rome.
"We're trying to get a domestic link for Perth for people and also for our community businesses so they can branch out from coal mining support to iron ore support."
Senior project manager Josh Fullerton started work on the international terminal expansion in 2021 after previously being involved with the $470 million construction of the new Maitland Hospital.
"The message we got from the board was they wanted something remarkable and they wanted something when you got off the plane, or when you were waiting at the airport, you felt like you were here in Newcastle, opposed to just another airport," Mr Fullerton said.
The two-storey terminal will feature floor to ceiling glass offering up an abundance of light and views to the Williamtown RAAF base.
Other new features will include a boarding bridge, a glass elevator, underground baggage tunnel and duty-free retail.
Mr Fullerton said maintaining the ease of travel for customers at Newcastle Airport was a primary focus for the expansion.
"As an international airport, compared to any other in the country, there's not many where you can literally park across the road from the front door and walk in," he said.
"That's a pretty unique experience and certainly something we focused on."
