Albany mayor Greg Stocks thrilled to see $11.5m dedicated to “big-ticket” Albany Regional Airport upgrades

Albany’s mayor says the $11.5 million dedicated to finishing the upgrades of the Great Southern’s largest airport, announced in last week’s State Budget, means the facility can be completed in early 2026. Mayor Greg Stocks said the money, pledged by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti in February, was vital to ensure the ageing infrastructure and weakened runway at Albany Regional Airport could be refurbished. “The big-ticket item we were looking for was the airport upgrade at $11.5m,” he said. “That means we can proceed, and we intend to do that this summer and deliver this project by March-April next year.” The funding will allow the City of Albany to complete the works detailed in the Albany Regional Airport Master Plan 2043, including upgrading the runway, apron and taxiway, and expansion of the passenger terminal and carpark. Mr Stocks said the upgrade would allow larger aircraft to land at the facility and supported the future of air travel in the region if the current provider, struggling Rex Airlines, was unable to recover from its financial woes. “I’ve had numerous conversations with the Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti on this, and she has made it very clear that post-Rex, there will be an aerial service to this region, which is super important to us,” he said. “That’s why the airport runway upgrade is so important, because if we can take a jet, 164-seater as of March-April next year, that opens up the options for people who are looking at Albany as a destination and a possible replacement for Rex if they don’t survive.” The city of Albany-owned asset was built in the 1940s by the Royal Australian Air Force and has been subject to several upgrades in its 80-year history. The airport serviced more than 77,000 passengers last year and is a key gateway in and out of the Great Southern. Mr Stocks said the runway would be upgraded to the “highest specifications” to allow for the landing of a large aerial tanker during the firefighting season. The Budget allocation will complement the $14m in Federal funding announced by Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson in January, $2.5m in other State Government funding, and $14.1m from the city, pushing the total funding pot to $42.1m.