Published Thursday, 28 February, 2008 at 02:02 PM

Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Sunshine Coast flying high on domestic airline seat increase
Domestic airline capacity to the Sunshine Coast has 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.
Ms Boyle welcomed the 9 per cent annual increase to 12,100 inbound domestic seats per week, saying it was great news for the region.
“The Sunshine Coast’s Maroochydore airport has celebrated an exciting year, welcoming an additional 1000 seats a week,” Ms Boyle said.
“In November, the Queensland Government welcomed the launch of three weekly Tiger Airways services from Melbourne.
“Virgin Blue has been using larger aircraft on its services from Melbourne to Maroochydore and Jetstar increased the frequency of its Adelaide-Sunshine Coast services from two to three times weekly.
“These figures are a 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.”
Ms Boyle said recently announced future changes in capacity included an additional daily Jetstar service from Melbourne to Maroochydore from March.
“This increase - boosting the frequency of Jetstar services from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast to triple daily - is part of the great news story for the region in 2008,” she 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 9 per cent annual increase to 12,100 inbound domestic seats per week, saying it was great news for the region.
“The Sunshine Coast’s Maroochydore airport has celebrated an exciting year, welcoming an additional 1000 seats a week,” Ms Boyle said.
“In November, the Queensland Government welcomed the launch of three weekly Tiger Airways services from Melbourne.
“Virgin Blue has been using larger aircraft on its services from Melbourne to Maroochydore and Jetstar increased the frequency of its Adelaide-Sunshine Coast services from two to three times weekly.
“These figures are a 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.”
Ms Boyle said recently announced future changes in capacity included an additional daily Jetstar service from Melbourne to Maroochydore from March.
“This increase - boosting the frequency of Jetstar services from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast to triple daily - is part of the great news story for the region in 2008,” she 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