Originally Posted by
Calchas
I am slightly surprised that CBR can handle international traffic ...
Originally Posted by
pandaperth
Yes, it surprised me too
I can't see where the traffic would be coming from to support this service
IIRC the SQ service SIN-CBR carries on to another destination (in NZ perhaps?)
So that service might be more viable than one that terminates in CBR
CBR has been able to handle international traffic for years. The runways and taxiways were upgraded in the 90s to handle 747s when Clinton visited. There has been customs/immigration staff based at the airport for just as long.
There were a number of scheduled international flights to NZ and other south pacific nations through the 90s and early 00s with temporary immigration processing equipment rolled out when such a flight was at the terminal.
Adding permanent international capacity was planned as part of the terminal redevelopment with a location set aside for the needed facilities which was then fitted out when SQ announced their flights.
SQ291/292 SIN-CBR-WLG operates 4 times/week. SQ calls it the "Capital Express".
Originally Posted by
Calchas
Looking into it: This is a SYD-CBR tag to evade capacity restrictions. QR is only allowed one nonstop flight to SYD each day but they are allowed more if the flight serves minor Australian cities.
CBR may have offered a sweetener as well.
CBR was surprised when QR first announced that they were looking at flying to CBR on their 2018 wishlist.
The standard Australian air services treaty limits either seats or flights per week to the 4 major ports (PER/MEL/SYD/BNE) while other ports (such as ADL/CBR/CNS/OOL/etc) are unlimited. (eg, Hong Kong is allowed 70 flights/week. CX is using all of them, but could add more flights to CBR, ADL, OOL if they wanted to)
The current agreement with Qatar is limited to 21 flights/week for the major ports with an allowance for 7 more provided those 7 are to/via an unlimited port. QRs allowance is taken by daily flights to PER, MEL and SYD. SYD was added when the limit was raised from 14 to 21.