Adelaide Airport International Flight Capacity

Ms O'HANLON (Dunstan) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister update the house on the recommencement of international flights into Adelaide?

The Hon. J.K. SZAKACS (Cheltenham—Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister for Local Government, Minister for Veterans Affairs) (14:39): I certainly can, and I thank the member for her question. It was an absolute pleasure last night to join the Minister for Tourism and also the commonwealth Minister for Tourism and Trade, the Hon. Don Farrell, at Adelaide Airport to welcome Emirates back into Adelaide. We also joined the Premier this morning and senior executives of Emirates here in Adelaide who have travelled to Adelaide for this momentous occasion.

This is really important because it unleashes more economic activity for our state. Of course, we heard from the Minister for Tourism in this place just a couple of weeks ago around the immense opportunities that direct flights unlock for tourism, for person-to-person transit and travel, and that is an amazing outcome for our state with the recommencement very soon of China Southern Airlines flying from Adelaide to Guangzhou.

But today is a really important day for South Australian jobs and South Australian businesses that export. We welcomed last night a 777 into Adelaide Airport—a great airplane, a great machine. It accommodates over 300 passengers. I know, Mr Speaker, that you are an aviation enthusiast, so I am lecturing and speaking to the converted here. The 777 is a unique aircraft because it also is the optimal aircraft for airfreight and this airfreight capacity into the UAE is really important.

Today's reconnection of direct flights does not serve as the start of an economic incubator, but it leapfrogs and springboards off the really important work that has already been done. About 5 per cent of South Australia's exports leave by air. The UAE is particularly different. Twenty-five per cent of our freight exports by air to the UAE because of the nature of those exports—premium food, premium wine, seafood, citrus, vegetables and dairy—so reconnecting these direct flights to get South Australian products into market by saving a day of transiting through markets or airports like Melbourne or Sydney will make a massive amount of difference for South Australian exporters who are already investing directly and heavily into these markets.

The extra 196 tonnes of weekly trade or airfreight will also make a world of difference when it comes to supporting—well supported by Adelaide Airport—the direct connectivity into market all around the world. I think it was Senator the Hon. Don Farrell who made these remarks and I think there is no better person to know about a Woolworths analogy than Senator Farrell. He referred to Dubai as 'the Woolworths of the Middle East', where freight comes in and is then distributed out. It is like a Woolies DC and that is what we see unleashing economic activity today.

We have been performing exceptionally well as a state in our export data. We have hit record high exports into China. We have consistently, since coming to government, seen our exports reach and surpass $17 billion. Why is this important? It is important for local businesses. We know that businesses connected to trade and exports perform better and are more resilient and for those 100,000 jobs that are supported by exports they are paid better, they are more secure, they are better performing and, as a government that believes heavily in the dignity of work, we will continue backing policies that back in those jobs as well.