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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-07-10 Daily Xml
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EMIRATES AIRLINES

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:21): My question is to the Deputy Premier. Can the Deputy Premier please inform the house about the recent announcement of a major international airline commencing direct international services to Adelaide?

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (14:22): I thank the honourable member for his question. This is actually a fantastic announcement for Adelaide. I was fortunate enough to be down at Adelaide Airport the other day with the man from Emirates who had flown in from Sydney, with the Adelaide Airport people and with Jane Jeffreys from the Tourism Commission, and this is an extremely important event for Adelaide.

At the moment we are going to have, as from November this year, five flights a week from Dubai to Adelaide direct and vice versa. The aircraft coming in are by far and away the largest aircraft coming into South Australia: they are 350-odd passenger aircraft. Emirates is one of the fastest if not the fastest growing airline in the world. It is a highly respected airline. I have only had the privilege of flying on Emirates once but I can tell you it was absolutely magnificent. I see the member for Norwood nodding—obviously he has been on Emirates as well. They are fantastic.

Mr Marshall: I've heard they're very good.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: You have heard that. They do a great job. They are a really good airline and a well respected airline; they are an internationally respected airline. It will mean that people from Adelaide will be able to go one stop via Dubai either to Europe or to the east coast of the United States. Imagine that: one stop Adelaide-New York—that's not bad; first time ever.

The other thing is that because of the route, the way they are going, it is actually pretty short compared to some of the other alternatives so it is great from that point of view. Another thing I want to say is that Emirates, being as they are one of the world's largest and most successful airlines with, I think, the most modern fleet of any airline anywhere, are showing tremendous confidence in South Australia by coming here. They would not be doing this if it was not something that stacked up from a business point of view. To me, that is great news about South Australia. It means people who are world players in the transport market—

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —are recognising Adelaide as a destination they need on the map. They need Adelaide on their map. I am looking forward to a very successful partnership between Emirates, the state government and Adelaide Airport—and I believe the people of South Australia will see more people travelling both ways. It is about making the pie bigger, not pinching a piece of the pie, and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —I would also like to say that at the announcement the other day the representative of Emirates told us that as from February next year they will be doing seven days a week. The other exciting thing about this is that the flights leave at about 10.30 at night, so you actually have a normal day, go down there, jump on the plane, sleep, and in the morning you are in Dubai. Isn't that fantastic! So, that is what they are doing.

I just wanted to say that my parliamentary colleagues, ministers Koutsantonis and Gago, did a fantastic job in organising this, and it is a tribute to them and their hard work. Can I also say that Adelaide Airport have been really 100 per cent behind this. They have worked very hard. It is a great thing for South Australia and it is a great show of confidence—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —by an international airline.

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