SYDNEY AIRPORT WELCOMES BOEING 787 DREAMLINER

The landing of Australia’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner at Sydney Airport today heralds a major shift in the aviation industry towards quieter, greener, more fuel-efficient aircraft, Sydney Airport says.

“The Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be 60 per cent quieter than the B767 it is replacing, use 20 per cent less fuel per passenger, heralding a new era of quieter, greener aircraft,” says Sydney Airport CEO Kerrie Mather.

“Together with the A380, Sydney Airport is set to be one of the most popular ports for new generation aircraft, with Qantas placing a significant order for the B787.

“Low cost carriers will drive much of the growth for airports over the next decade. With Jetstar to operate many of the Dreamliners on order, it will become the workhorse of the fleet and open potential for more direct flights from Sydney to destinations in Asia, North America and South America.

Today’s test flight by Qantas and Jetstar is scheduled to land at 11.00am.

“Over the past decade, Sydney Airport has had a 40 per cent increase in passengers, but virtually no increase in aircraft movements,” Ms Mather said. “Sydney Airport has ample capacity for passenger growth and with new generation aircraft rolling off the production line and airline orders being filled over the next two years, this trend is set to continue.

Sydney is already one of the world’s busiest A380 airports and the fact that the A380 is 40 to 80 per cent quieter than the B747 and significantly larger means that more passengers can travel through Sydney Airport on fewer aircraft with markedly less noise for surrounding residents.

“This good news for Sydney and people living around Sydney Airport,” Ms Mather said.

“Sydney Airport has invested heavily to accommodate new generation aircraft, including infrastructure upgrades to cope with larger aircraft, completing the Runway End Safety Areas last year and the upgrade of International Terminal.