Direct flights from Williamtown to New Zealand will not resume this summer, but Newcastle Airport is forging ahead with work on its new international terminal.
The airport has published updated concept drawings of the planned terminal building which show a double-height glass facade and wide forecourt.
The Newcastle Herald reported on Tuesday that the airport's short-stay car park in front of the existing terminal would close from Friday to allow preliminary work to start on a new "premium" covered car park in the same location.
The terminal work and accompanying runway upgrade will allow the airport to accommodate long-haul international flights from 2024.
The airport sent a delegation to Singapore in July to continue talks with budget airline Scoot on securing direct flights to the Asian travel and business hub.
The airport courted representatives from Air Vanuatu, which flies to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, in Newcastle this week, though no agreement with the South Pacific carrier is imminent.
Newcastle has not struck a deal with a New Zealand carrier to resurrect flights to Auckland this summer but is hopeful of resuming the service in the future.
Virgin flew three times a week between the cities in the summer of 2018 and signed a new three-year contract the following year, but the COVID pandemic scuttled the service.
Airport executives will resume talks with Air New Zealand at the Routes World conference in Las Vegas next month.
The airport is working with Port Stephens Council on the approval process for the new terminal.
The council approved plans for the airport's $80 million staged expansion in 2013.
The new federal Labor government confirmed last month that it would honour its election promise from early this year to fund the $55 million terminal upgrade.
The 160-space premium car park will include 1212 solar panels supplying 21 per cent of the airport's annual energy needs and eight electric vehicle charging stations.
"While some changes are being made to the car park layout, there will always be plenty of parking spaces available," airport chief executive Peter Cock said.
Work on upgrading the Williamtown runway to accommodate long-haul aircraft is scheduled to finish in the first half of 2024.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Newcastle Herald website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.
