Demand for seaplane flights from Sydney's Rose Bay terminal are on the rise after 20% increase in bookings for 2016.
Operator Sydney Seaplanes is also predicting turnover figures of $8 million for the 2016-17 financial year, a very healthy 15% increase.
The company, which is a consolidation of five operators who once shared the terminal, employs 30 people and runs five aircraft including Beavers and Caravans, which have been kept busy over the past 12 months.
CEO Aaron Shaw attributes the encouraging results to the present state and future of the Australian tourism industry.
“Emerging markets are big for Australia," he says. "We’re getting a lot of business from China and India. The surge in Indian passengers has been especially huge, and we’re modifying our operations to accommodate more to the Chinese market by being active on WeChat, accepting payment on China UnionPay, and creating a safety briefing video in Mandarin.”
With the opening of a new terminal building, Shaw also hopes to create a dining and corporates events space to make Rose Bay a venue for all Sydneysiders. The new terminal incorporates a luxurious Empire Lounge, restaurant, terminal, discreet VIP space, function area and flying boat museum.
But it hasn't always been blooming petals at Rose Bay. When Shaw bought out all his competitors 11 years ago, the seaplane base resembled more of a frontier town than a harmonious community.
“The terminal was a shed, and at one stage there were four companies sharing it," he recalls. "It was like when you’re at the airport and there’s all the rental car companies crammed together. If people turned up without a booking, the operators would undercut prices, and there’d even be physical fights. It was like a turf war. It was a horrible environment."
Even so, the native New Zealander acknowledges the perennial struggle of all general aviation operators is present in Sydney Seaplanes as well.
"Aviation is a tough business," he says. "Expect it to cost twice what you planned for and to earn half what you planned for. Weather is your main enemy, and that’s entirely out of your control.
“It’s a high-cost business: aircraft, infrastructure, skilled workers. The smaller Beavers cost about $500,000 and the larger Caravans are about $2.5 – $3 million. If you have a component break down on a plane, that could be a $20,000 hit you’re taking.”
Shaw says that the company's success has relied on throwing off the old cowboy vibe that existed around Rose Bay and driving a new professionalism into the business.
“The unwavering commitment to safety, quality product, and skilled people has completely removed us from the pre-Sydney Seaplanes days. We have a really good reputation among customers, the community, the industry, and the government.
"People love what we offer.”