Published Thursday, 28 February, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Rockhampton flying high on domestic airline seat increase
Domestic airline capacity to Rockhampton soared in the past 12 months with an extra 1000 seats a week now coming into the region, Tourism and Regional Development Minister Desley Boyle announced in Parliament this week.
Ms Boyle welcomed the 15 per cent annual increase to 8200 inbound domestic seats a week, saying it was great news for the region.
“This is good news for Rockhampton’s tourism industry operators, who are witnessing an additional 1000 domestic airline seats into the region every week,” she said.
Member for Rockhampton Robert Schwarten said Rockhampton continued to attract new flights.
“In the past year, the Queensland Government has welcomed the launch of four times weekly Tiger Airways services from Melbourne, which commenced in late November,” Mr Schwarten said.
“Virgin Blue, meanwhile, has operated additional services between Brisbane and Rockhampton, using its new Embraer aircraft.
“These figures are testament to the effort and innovation put into growing airline capacity in the region by the airport authorities and Tourism Queensland and there is only more great news to come,” he said.
Mr Schwarten said Virgin Blue recently announced its intention to operate the Sydney-Rockhampton route daily from February 2008 – up from three frequencies a week.
“The potent combination of new players such as Tiger Airways into Rockhampton, and increases in capacity by existing operators, places the region firmly on the map as an accessible tourism destination,” he said.
“Anyone involved in the tourism, aviation and related industries in the region have good reason to celebrate these figures.”
Ms Boyle said: “There has never been a more competitive and yet more exciting time to be involved in the aviation and tourism industries in Queensland. While there has been a softening of growth in international tourism recently, the continued growth of domestic tourism particularly in regional Queensland is very encouraging."
Ends
Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland: 3535 5010
28 February 2008
Ms Boyle welcomed the 15 per cent annual increase to 8200 inbound domestic seats a week, saying it was great news for the region.
“This is good news for Rockhampton’s tourism industry operators, who are witnessing an additional 1000 domestic airline seats into the region every week,” she said.
Member for Rockhampton Robert Schwarten said Rockhampton continued to attract new flights.
“In the past year, the Queensland Government has welcomed the launch of four times weekly Tiger Airways services from Melbourne, which commenced in late November,” Mr Schwarten said.
“Virgin Blue, meanwhile, has operated additional services between Brisbane and Rockhampton, using its new Embraer aircraft.
“These figures are testament to the effort and innovation put into growing airline capacity in the region by the airport authorities and Tourism Queensland and there is only more great news to come,” he said.
Mr Schwarten said Virgin Blue recently announced its intention to operate the Sydney-Rockhampton route daily from February 2008 – up from three frequencies a week.
“The potent combination of new players such as Tiger Airways into Rockhampton, and increases in capacity by existing operators, places the region firmly on the map as an accessible tourism destination,” he said.
“Anyone involved in the tourism, aviation and related industries in the region have good reason to celebrate these figures.”
Ms Boyle said: “There has never been a more competitive and yet more exciting time to be involved in the aviation and tourism industries in Queensland. While there has been a softening of growth in international tourism recently, the continued growth of domestic tourism particularly in regional Queensland is very encouraging."
Ends
Media contact: 3224 2007 or 3225 1005
Tourism Queensland: 3535 5010
28 February 2008