Three air routes opened to competition

Three regional air routes will be opened up for competition as part of the Newman Government’s on-going commitment to improve regional passenger services.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the review of long-distance passenger services also ensures funding to maintain regional Queensland routes to smaller country towns.

“We are a government that is working to revitalise frontline services, as promised at the election, and this decision will remove red tape for the airline industry and achieve that,” Mr Emerson said.

“From 2015, when the existing contracts end, three routes will be opened up to commercial competition so the market can set the best price and service levels. All other routes will go out to tender.

“We’ll continue to monitor patronage on these routes with the option to re-regulate if we feel the airlines aren’t delivering for regional communities.”

The three routes which will no longer be regulated are:

• Cairns to Horn Island with 17 return flights a week with 67,000 passengers a year
• Cairns to Weipa with 17 return flights per week with 70,000 passengers a year
• Townsville to Mt Isa, via Cloncurry with five return flights with 7000* passengers a year 

“The patronage driven by the resources sector across the state means there is an opportunity for other airlines to compete on some routes,” Mr Emerson said.

“The long-distance passenger transport review canvassed views of regional communities, including local government, resulting in 7200 responses, of which 3400 were air passengers.”

The government will continue to regulate and offer contracts for routes between:

• Brisbane-Toowoomba-St George-Cunnamulla-Thargomindah
• Brisbane-Toowoomba-Charleville-Quilpie-Windorah-Birdsville-Bedourie-Boulia-Mount Isa
• Cairns-Normanton-Mornington Island-Burketown-Doomadgee-Mount Isa
• Townsville-Winton-Longreach
• Townsville-Hughenden-Richmond-Julia Creek-Mt Isa
• Brisbane-Roma-Charleville
• Brisbane-Blackall-Barcaldine-Longreach

* Townsville to Concurry patronage only

Media contact: Andrew Berkman 0429 128 637