Fly free weekends for Bankstown

Bankstown Airport has devised a new plan to entice more recreational flyers to the airport.

Under the banner of its new ‘fly free weekends’, Bankstown is offering recreational flyers the chance to fly in and out of the airport gratis. On weekends during the period from November 1 to January 31 2011 all aeronautical charges will be waived. During this three-month period there will be no aeronautical charges for fixed wing aircraft below 2500kgs MTOW when they use the airport on Saturdays and Sundays.

Sydney Metro Airports, which operates both Bankstown and Camden Airports, says its ‘fly free weekends’ are aimed at providing incentive to attract more recreational flyers to fly in and out of the airport.

“Sydney Metro Airport Bankstown is a great place to fly,” Sydney Metro Airports Coling Grove says. “We have recently resurfaced our main runway, which airport users say is a fantastic surface to use. We encourage all recreational flyers to experience the new runway and the premier flying conditions at Bankstown.

“We have everything here that a recreational flyer could want from aircraft facilities, aircraft refuelling, maintenance and avionics providers, through to aviation supplies stores and cafe.”

The promotion is not applicable to aircraft that are on an existing pre-paid scheme.

The ‘fly free weekends’, and the earlier reported move by Sydney Metro Airports to offer parking discounts for Bankstown’s newcomers, are much-needed moves in the right direction. Clearly steps need to be taken to reinvigorate aviation business at our GA airports, so it’s good to see an airport operator doing their bit to make the equation more economically viable for aircraft owners and operators and airport users. Here’s hoping there’s more to come.