THE consensus is strong: Cairns Airport will flourish under private ownership. 

The question about who the owner will be is still a long way off with tender documents yet to be drawn up.

There is a growing list of likely contenders, from within Australia and outside, and almost all are keeping an open mind about how Cairns would fit with their investment strategies.

The names put forward by industry analysts are Queensland Airports Ltd (owners of the Gold Coast, Townsville and Mt Isa airports), Australian Pacific Airports Corporation (Melbourne and Launceston airports), investment bank Babcock & Brown, Macquarie Airports Corporation (investment in Hobart Airport through Tasmanian gateway Consortium), Canadian firm Teachers Credit Union and possibly the Brisbane Airports Corporation where the State Government’s 12 per cent stake is also being sold.

The only potential buyers who have ruled it out at this stage are Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, an unsuccessful bidder for Auckland Airport and Emirates Airlines, owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Managing director of Queensland Airports Dennis Chant told Business Week that any interest would be subject to shareholder consideration.

Mr Chant was responsible for the management and development of Cairns International Airport when its ownership was transferred from the Federal Government to the Cairns Port Authority in
1981, the first regional airport to be transferred to local ownership. Mr Chant said it was "very early days" to discuss any potential bid for Cairns or Mackay, the other airport that is also being sold to pay for health infrastructure.

However, Mr Chant said there was no doubt the record of privatised airports in Australia since the moves started 11 years ago was one of success.

"Private ownership means greater flexibility to meet customer demands and private owners have driven up airport traffic around the country," Mr Chant said.

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