Executive PA Australasia Issue 1 2020 | Página 44

CORPORATE TRAVEL BOA R DING PA S S All the latest news for the busy EA organising corporate travel Qantas is developing a jetlag busting app Bendigo Airport upgrade: new flights, runway, parking and terminal The Bendigo Airport welcomed its first Qantas passengers last year, with the inagural flight to Sydney marking the completion of a redevelopment and renovation of the terminal and runways. Extensive renovations have taken place at the airport, with 46 local businesses employed to provide materials and deliver work, including construction, electrical, floor coverings and painting. A new 76-space car park has been sealed, the building has been extended to accommodate the baggage collection area, new carpet has been laid throughout, new seating has been installed, toilet facilities have been updated and NBN fibre has been connected to the building to allow passengers to connect to the internet. “The works have run to schedule and we are very pleased with the result. The building is now fit-for-purpose and will be comfortable for passengers as they wait to board flights, collect their baggage or be picked up from the airport,” City of Greater Bendigo Business Services Manager Ben Devanny said. S Recording breaking arrivals highlight Brisbane as a destination of choice Passenger numbers at Brisbane airport broke 24 million last year, the highest visitor numbers in the airport’s history. The record number of people passing through the airport is a sign that Brisbane is fast becoming a world city, and is high on the list for both corporate and leisure travellers. 44 Chief of Staff | Issue 1 2020 “Brisbane as we know it is evolving and going from strength to strength thanks to a number of major infrastructure projects currently underway,” Gert-Jan de Graaff, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO said. “It is clear the rest of the world is taking notice of our great city and region and all it has to offer.” S Embarking on what Qantas is calling ‘Project Sunrise’, the airline has recently completed three research flights direct from Australia’s east coast to London and New York. These 19-hour direct flights are slated to be the longest in the world. Due to their length, the Australian flag-carrier closely monitored the health and wellbeing of the research flights’ passengers. The findings from this research may herald a new future for airline apps—with the airline’s CEO suggesting that the data they’ve got is sophisticated enough to help travellers with their jetlag. The app will help people schedule specific activities to help with their circadian rhythm, “in the buildup to the flight, on the flight and post-flight.” It would be able to tell people what to eat, when to sleep and when to expose themselves to light so they land in sync with their destination’s time zone and daylight cycle. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the software will put them at the top of the airline app pile.“It’s a lot easier than downloading a third-party app from the app store, and gives people an added advantage that they don’t get today with other airlines.” S