Qld's Alliance Airlines wins BHP Nickel West tender

Queensland based Alliance Airlines is set to establish a strong presence in Western Australia after successfully tendering for BHP Billiton Nickel West's Leinster and Mount Keith air charter service operations.

Alliance Airlines Managing Director, Scott McMillan, today announced the company has been successful with its tender for the BHP Billiton Nickel West air charter service contract and as a result, would establish a full flight crew base and engineering facility in Western Australia.

"Alliance is delighted to have won the opportunity to work with BHP Billiton in Western Australia," Mr McMillan said.

"We have been successful in locking in a five year contract that commences on 1 November which will see Alliance operating 18 return flights per week from Perth to Nickel West's operations based at Mount Keith and Leinster."

Alliance Airlines will base its facilities at the Perth domestic airport's Terminal Three where exclusive check-in areas will be offered to Nickel West's employees.

"We expect to either relocate or employ a total of 23 employees and will appoint a General Manager - Western Australia later this month," Mr McMillan said.

"All flights will be operated utilising the highly respected 105 seat Fokker 100 Twinjet Aircraft, with two based in Perth for flight commencements and a third by early 2007.

"The Fokker F100 is ideally suited to the Mt Keith and Leinster routes. The aircraft has impressive operational characteristics enabling high payloads in the severe temperatures encountered in Western Australia. The F100's speed and altitude capability ensures superior passenger comfort levels.

"Alliances entry into Western Australia is a logical expansion of its Queensland operation and follows the growth of our Fokker fleet to 8 aircraft," he said.

Alliance Airlines is a privately owned Queensland based contract operator specialising in charter operations to remote mining sites and is based in Brisbane where it maintains its heavy maintenance facility, major crew base, and operations centre.

Alliance is a major supplier of jet charter services to the Federal Government, other airlines including Air Niugini and Air Nauru and also the incentive, group and inbound tourism market. Alliance aircraft regularly fly throughout the South West Pacific.