Search ships boost trade: ACCI

Visiting navy ships involved in the search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 have injected more than $10 million into the local economy, according to the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In the past month, the People’s Liberation Army Navy ships Qian Dao Hu and Haixun 01, and US Navy supply ship Cesar Chavez docked at Albany Port to refuel and stock supplies.

The ships have been assisting in their country’s cooperation in the search for the missing Boeing 777, which disappeared en-route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing two months ago.

ACCI chief executive Russ Clark said he estimated $10 million was spent by the ships while in Albany on fuel, medical supplies, toiletries and food.

“Unfortunately, the circumstances behind them being here are not the greatest, however in life, these opportunities come in business and we need to capitalise on them and for our economy it worked out to be quite a good opportunity,” he said.

Albany Port Authority chief executive Brad Williamson said the most significant spending was on fuel.

He said Qian Dao Hu purchased about $8 million of fuel, Haixun 01 bought abot $722,000 in fuel, while Cesar Chavez restocked with about $700,000 worth.

He said crew members would have made purchases in local shops.

“The American ship had 132 crew members, and were in for five days; let’s just say they spent $60 a day, that’s $40,000,” he said.

However, Albany businessman Paul Lionetti said his York Street IGA store did not directly benefit.

“We didn’t get a cent out of it — having said that, I’m not disappointed because if they’ve spent in local coffee shops we may get a bit of it indirectly, but actually over the counter we didn’t get anything,” he said.

White Star Hotel operations manager Helen Simpson said only a small group of older servicemen visited the establishment.