We all see those lovely ads asking us to shop local and support the local community. You’re not alone in thinking that your individual shopping habbits can’t possibly matter in the grand scheme of things, but believe it or not, they actually do!
In general, shopping local means boosting your community’s economy and putting food on the table for local families, maybe even the one next door, but what does it mean for an airport?
While there are some incredible perks to flying from your local airport it can be so easy to dismiss it as an option when the stars, or in this case flights don’t quite align. What you might not realise is how much your choice in departure point can help you and your local community.
Obviously, there are upsides to flying local like not driving to Brisbane and being only two hours from Nanna in Melbourne, but did you know that every time you make the choice to fly local you’re helping your local airport build a business case for bigger planes, increased route frequency, better scheduling and more affordable tickets? Well you are!
As the passenger traffic increases in an airport so does the likelihood that smaller propeller aircraft will be replaced by bigger jet aircraft to accommodate the increase in flyers. Additionally, more traffic means more flights, which gives you more freedom to fly when you want to.
Most importantly though, when a route becomes busy enough additional carriers will begin to offer a similar route, creating competition between airlines. This typically drives prices down and gives you the opportunity to shop around for the best price.
The connectivity afforded by airline services to and from a community is incredibility valuable for the growth of local businesses, tourism and the population. Many businesses require frequent flights between their location and the locations of suppliers, customers and employees in order to survive. Your choice to fly local means additional flights allowing these businesses greater flexibility.
Every time you connect to a destination indirectly from your local airport you are single handedly demonstrating the need for an additional destination. More destinations mean more people can discover our lovely part of the world for leisure or forever! Airport’s play a major part in inbound tourism growth but their connections also improve the livability and appeal of a city in the eyes of those looking for somewhere new to call home.
There is of course the added benefit of more jobs in aviation, tourism and industry in general – that’s always a nice bonus!
So there are incredibly significant impacts that your decision to fly local can have. Likewise for every person you can convince to fly local the faster you and your community will reap the benefits.
For more information on how you can start you journey from Wellcamp Airport explore our website or talk to your local travel agent!