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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-10-31 Daily Xml
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AIRASIA X

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna) (14:45): My question is to the Minister for Tourism. What further information can the minister provide the house about the arrival of AirAsia X's first flight and Emirates' first anniversary in Adelaide?

The Hon. L.W.K. BIGNELL (Mawson—Minister for Tourism, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:45): Thank you to the member for Kaurna for the question and, to answer the question of the minister for industry and trade: yes, they did get the fire trucks. The fire trucks were there to spray the water cannon over the first flight in this morning to celebrate the arrival of the seventh international airline to make Adelaide one of its destinations. The chief executive officer of AirAsia X (Azran Osman Rani) was there, and he has been a frequent visitor to Adelaide in recent years as they have looked at the possibility of Adelaide coming onto their schedule.

He was in Kangaroo Island and the Barossa at the beginning of the year and, in July, he and I went over to Port Lincoln and (as the member for Flinders would know) he ate one of those one-kilogram oysters. We took him swimming with the tuna, he got in a shark cage and went diving and he also went swimming with the sea lions. When you look at their marketing, AirAsia X has been saying ,'Come to Adelaide' but they are really putting our regions out there.

As part of their marketing plan, they have set five challenges for people throughout Asia. One is to come over and see who can eat the most oysters in five minutes. Another is to put two people at a time, with heart rate monitors on, in a cage to see the Great White Sharks and whoever has the lowest heart rate wins. They have a treasure hunt through the Barossa Valley. The member for Schubert, I am sure, will be happy that they are promoting the Barossa Valley to people coming from their 80 destinations throughout Asia. They are doing a triathlon for those people who are a bit fitter, involving a swim in our beautiful ocean and then a ride up into the hills. So they are really looking after the regions.

The great thing about AirAsia X's arrival into Adelaide is that, since the member for Cheltenham became Premier, we have 83 per cent more international airline seats coming into Adelaide. That is in just two years. Since the Premier came into this job, we have increased it by 83 per cent and, by December when Jetstar flies direct from Indonesia and New Zealand, that figure will go to 90 per cent.

It is an extraordinary result for this government, that has gone after international airlines to bring in more people. As I said, Lonely Planet naming Adelaide one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit next year is really going to help us fill those seats. With all the extra capacity, we want to make sure we market Adelaide and South Australia to every corner of the globe and get as many people as we can coming to Adelaide.

Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Emirates coming into Adelaide. What a great success that has been. They fly to hundreds of destinations throughout the world and have brought 90,000 people to Adelaide in their first year at a capacity rate of 80 per cent. Anyone who knows the airline industry knows that 80 per cent capacity is a very good result, indeed. I want to congratulate Emirates on their first year, and wish AirAsia X and their team all the very best for their first year.

The SPEAKER: Supplementary, the member for Mount Gambier.

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