International touch down at Avalon Airport

The first international flight is due to touch down at Victoria's newest airport terminal on Wednesday.

Signage at the official opening of the Avalon International Terminal.

Avalon Airport, near Melbourne, will receive its first international passenger flight on Wednesday. (AAP) Source: AAP

Victoria's newest international airport will welcome its first overseas passenger flight on Wednesday.

AirAsia X flight D7 218 from Kuala Lumpur is due to touch down at 8:20am at Avalon Airport, following the opening of the airport's new international terminal on Sunday.

The Malaysian budget airline will permanently move is its twice-daily Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne service from Tullamarine to Avalon.

Located in the suburb of Lara - a 20-minute drive from Geelong and about an hour from Melbourne's CBD - it is hoped the new airport will boost local tourism and give regional exporters easier access to Asian markets.

The airport estimates about 500,000 international passengers will pass through the terminal in its first year.

It has been built with room for more international airlines, which the airport hopes to attract.

The new terminal cost $48 million, with the federal government contributing $20 million and the state government also providing support.

The airport is owned by trucking magnate Lindsay Fox's company Linfox, with son and Linfox Airports Chairman David expected to be onboard the flight.


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1 min read
Published 5 December 2018 3:06pm
Updated 5 December 2018 4:47pm
By Helen Chen
Source: AAP


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