The wheels are in motion for the Toowoomba Qantas Pilot Academy with Toowoomba Regional Council receiving a Development Application for the project earlier today.
Following September’s announcement of Toowoomba being named as the successful site for the first regional pilot academy, Mayor Paul Antonio said he was excited to see the application coming before Council.
“This academy will provide a significant boost to our economy and underlines the faith currently being shown in the Toowoomba Region,” he said.
“Early estimates indicate the academy will create 100 direct jobs and 300 in the wider construction industry with the flow-on effect also having a major impact on our region.
“This is a project, not only of regional significance, but one of state and national significance and as such, I’m delighted to see it progressing to the next stage.”
In March this year, Qantas advised it was looking to appoint a new training provider for the Toowoomba site and the facility has been tweaked to suit the needs of the training provider.
“The applicant has indicated that the existing application will be withdrawn and we have received a fresh application which incorporates in the changes to the facility,” Mayor Antonio said.
“The new application is similar in size and capacity of students, but has been re-designed to be further removed from Toowoomba Cecil Plains Road and to incorporate a changed configuration and layout of the accommodation village.”
The training facilities and hangar complex remain at the eastern side of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport runway with the academy on track to welcome student applications in the coming months.
Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning, Cameron Dick said the construction of the Qantas Pilot Academy facilities at the Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba will start once the DA has been considered and approved by Council.
“The Queensland Government’s $105 million Advance Queensland Industry Attraction Fund supported this initiative and I am delighted progress is being made,” Mr Dick said.
“From the time a proposal for the pilot academy was announced in February 2018, the Palaszczuk Government proactively targeted the opportunity to ensure that “Queensland” was put back in Qantas.
“The Palaszczuk Government will continue to work with Qantas, the Toowoomba Regional Council and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to deliver the project and bring more similar initiatives to the regions.”
The new regional Qantas Pilot Academy will operate from the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport.
In total more than 60 regional airports across Australia applied to be home to one of the new academies, with the Wellcamp site being selected by Qantas.
