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23 August, 2023

Marriott’s Sean Hunt continues to champion increased connectivity to Australian airports

At the opening of the brand-new, Moxy Hotel Sydney Airport, Marriott Hotels VP (APAC), Sean Hunt declared he will continue to lobby the government to allow more airlines to fly into Australia.

Speaking at an event on Tuesday morning, Hunt applauded the work that went into the completion of the new hotel, “Who said airport hotels have to be boring?” he said.

“If you’re going to be on a layover this is the place to spend it.”

Moxy Sydney Airport lounge. (Supplied)

Hunt, who is a vice chairman on the Accommodation Australia board, went on to discuss the topical issue of a lack of competition in the Australian international airline market.

“Domestic air travel is now back at 90 per cent of pre-COVID levels, which is really pleasing to us given we’ve got a lot of hotels that have opened in the last 12-24 months,’ Hunt continued.

“This hotel, located right next to the domestic and international airports which last month saw three million passengers come through these terminals, I think we’re in a great space.

That said… More work needs to be done, 67 per cent recovery in the international space, which is just unacceptable, and our government needs to do more and we need to lobby to get more airlines flying in.

“We’re going to continue to do that.

“I am vice chairman of the Accommodation Australia board and I am going to continue to lobby to get more and more airlines into this great city.”

Last month, the minister for transport and infrastructure, Catherine King, blocked an application from Qatar Airways for more Australian capacity, reportedly following opposition from Qantas.

Turkish Airlines is also keen to enter the Australian market and held a major event in Melbourne recently which many in attended expected to be the announcement of new routes into the city. It was then revealed that the airline was not as close as many thought to the deal being done, and had yet to formally apply new routes.

It has not yet been revealed if the carrier will be successful in securing new routes.

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Catherine King Moxy Sydney Airport qatar airways Sean Hunt turkish airlines