Skytrans airline adds new Cape York routes and bids for REX flight contracts
A North Queensland airline is launching two new flights from Cairns, including a direct route to one of the country’s favourite holiday destinations, as it issues a challenge to Australia’s biggest aviation players.
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A NORTH Queensland airline has thrown down the gauntlet to QantasLink and Regional Express by adding new Queensland destinations and announcing plans to bid for lucrative regional long haul contracts.
For the first time, Skytrans will operate return flights between Cairns-Whitsunday Coast Airport-Rockhampton from September 13.
It’s expected flights to Proserpine, which will allow easy access to the Whitsundays and resorts at Hamilton, Daydream and Hayman islands, will be popular with Cairns travellers looking for a blue water getaway.
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Airfares to the Whitsundays cost from $149 one way and $199 to Rockhampton.
Cementing the airline’s Cape York presence Skytrans, co-owned by NRL great Johnathan Thurston, will revive Cairns-Horn Island flights and include Bamaga on the route as the nation’s shortest aviation connection of 10 minutes flying time.
The first flight departs Cairns on Friday using a Dash 8-100 aircraft.
Currently QantasLink is the only carrier servicing the Horn Island-Cairns route and charges from $340 for a one-way flight to the Torres Strait.
Skytrans chief executive officer Alan Milne said being a monopoly carrier meant QantasLink’s “ticket prices are fixed accordingly”
“So we believe bringing some competition on will be a benefit to the travelling public, because it’s nothing like competition to drive your ticket prices down,” he said.
Mr Milne said being a Queensland-owned company would give the airline the edge on the Horn Island-Bamaga route currently serviced by Regional Express (REX).
“They’ve got their Saab 340 which if they’re full of passengers (have) struggled to carry freight,” he said.
“So we believe there’s an opportunity there to carry up to four tonnes of freight that will be able to help the community get their freight back into Cairns.”
Mr Milne said the tropical rock lobster industry could benefit from additional service flying Bamaga to Cairns.
The former Qantas head of operations performance said the Cairns-Horn Island-Bamaga service would complement a Skytrans network that included 13 Torres Strait Island communities and four indigenous Cape York townships on the mainland.
“The major benefit of Skytrans operating to Horn Island will be the seamless connectivity with Skytrans services to the many Torres Strait Islands serviced by the wholly Queensland owned airline,” he said.
“Our customers will now have the option to book a through ticket from Thursday Island to Cairns and return in collaboration with our partner Rebel Ferries.
“Flying to Bamaga may only be a short hop but it will provide huge benefits for locals through increased connectivity with Cairns and the Torres Strait Islands,” Mr Milne said.
In a major shake-up the long distance air service industry if successful, Skytrans plans to wrest lucrative contracts for state regulated flights from REX.
In 2015 REX was awarded a five-year contract to operate all flights within the western, Gulf and northern zones servicing remote Queensland towns of Charleville, Cunnamulla, Doomadgee, Mount Isa, Mornington Island, Burketown and Normanton.
“We’re proud and happy to be putting in a tender for the new Queensland government regulated routes,” Mr Milne said. Queensland government long distance air service tender applications close on August 9.
Since an aviation downturn forced by the pandemic and a biosecurity lockout of Cape York in 2020, Mr Milne said since February this year Skytrans had returned to a normal flight timetable.
“The biggest problem is the second and third waves that we’ve had, lockdowns in Brisbane and Townsville, and now the current lockdown in Sydney and New South Wales,” Mr Milne said.
“We’re a little bit protected up here in Far North Queensland but that affects us as because people get nervous about Covid.
“It does have an impact on passenger numbers. We’re still maintaining our schedule and our timetable (but) our passenger loads are down on pre-pandemic numbers,” the airline boss said.
PILOT LOVES THE HIGH LIFE
FOR EIGHT years Skytrans first officer Apara Brewster has been buzzing overhead looking down on the North Australia landscape.
Flying flights across the Northern Territory while based in Darwin before joining the Queensland-owned airline in 2016 Mr Brewster has covered a lot of country. But by far the most breathtaking was the Cairns-Horn Island route.
“It’s beautiful, coming up from south and seeing Price Charlotte Bay,” he said.
“I really enjoy the team that we’re working with. And then being able to help out the (Cape) community as well, being a local airline we get to know the regular travellers.”
Originally published as Skytrans airline adds new Cape York routes and bids for REX flight contracts
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