Approval for airport hotel

Management at Newcastle Airport say passengers from the Central Coast and Upper Hunter will benefit from a new 95-room hotel approved for the facility.

Developer Hilton Grugeon hopes construction will get started later this year and will open late next year.

The approved plans include a restaurant, bar and conference centre.

The airport's manager of aviation and business development David Nye says the new hotel should be a further boost to passenger numbers.

"It's a positive move for anybody coming to and from the airport to have such a hotel on the precinct," he said.

"It's probably big enough for the time being.

"When you look at where we may see people coming to and from, for us it's about passengers that are possibly on the Central Coast or in the Upper Hunter that can come to the airport the night before, before flying out, as well as attracting business people to come and hold conferences."

Source: ABC News, 21 June 2013