A Dubbo-based airline could build up its maintenance section to take on work from its sister company in Sydney in the future.
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Air Link general manager Ron O'Brien said opportunities that could grow the small but "highly-regarded, well-trained and well-qualified" engineering team were being considered.
It was hoped Air Link could take on maintenance for its Bankstown-based sister company AirMed.
"So they'll ship the aircraft out to Dubbo, utilise our downtime a little bit and make it more of an economical option, spending money within the organisation, rather than externally," Mr O'Brien said.
The Air Link team has more than doubled in the past 12 months and the company will start a new regular passenger service from Dubbo to Bourke, Walgett and Lightning Ridge this week.
Mr O'Brien, who moved to Dubbo from Sydney in October last year to take on the leadership role, is hopeful the growth will continue.
"We had four employees, and now we're at nine, and I would hope 12, within the next 12 months, given what we're projecting in terms of growth in the business, both organically and by bringing some work from our other organisation here," he said.
The challenge of operating a business in a "tough industry" is bringing satisfaction to Mr O'Brien, who started his career four decades ago with an icon of regional aviation, Hazelton Airlines.
"I worked with Max [Hazelton], I started in 1979, as did my chief engineer, by the way, he started six weeks after me, so we go back 41 years," Mr O'Brien said.
He considers those early years have served him well.
"I had 18 years with Max and Laurel, fantastic people and a fantastic company.
"I learned a whole lot about how to run your business, but how to respect your staff, how to respect your clients to try to work with them rather than work against them..."
During 21 years in Sydney Mr O'Brien worked for brokers, aeromedical companies and charter companies in a range of roles.
He jumped at the chance to make the move west 13 months ago.
"When I came up here last September for a bit of a look, when they said do you want to come out to the country and manage Air Link, it took me all of one second to say yes," he said.
The move brought him closer to family and where he grew up.
"...Plus the fact that Sydney is not attractive to certain style of people, and I'm one of those style of people I guess," he said.
Air Link started at Dubbo in 1974 and was bought by Aviation Logistics in September 2018.
"...this hangar was the first building over in this part of the airport," Mr O'Brien said.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
