Cairns Airport: Key export freight routes flying Far North produce to world have been extended

Demand for exotic Far North produce has dictated changes to a number of critical freight routes from Cairns, with a looming decision set to impact the city’s exporters.

CRITICAL trade routes taking Far North products to the world have been given a lifeline and are expected to be extended into the second half of the year.

Demand for two export freight flights from Cairns delivering live seafood, thousands of kilos of fruit and premium and exotic produce to Singapore and Hong Kong will continue until at least the end of June, despite fears they would be stopped.

The weekly route by Singapore Airlines from Cairns, using an Airbus A350 aircraft, and the longer-running Qantas trip to Hong Kong from Brisbane have been extended thanks to “crucial” Federal Government assistance after both were listed to stop in February.

Qantas will continue crucial export links from the Far North to Hong Kong out of the Qantas freight terminal in Cairns (pictured). PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN

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Managing director of Cairns-based Air Freight Handling Services Barbara Ford said Austrade’s International Freight Assistance Mechanism was helping Far North exporters get their products to crucial parts of Asia.

“The demand for these products was still there and it is just so critical that we keep these routes to keep our exporters exporting to those parts of the world,” she said.

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A Cairns stop on a weekly Qantas route from Sydney to Japan – introduced in January and using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner – was discontinued on Monday.

Despite the Sydney-Cairns-Narita service ending, an Austrade spokeswoman said Qantas was operating domestic services connecting Far North exporters to international routes out of Sydney and Melbourne.

Jetstar also has plans to operate domestic flights out of Cairns from June.

“It’s providing exporters with greater options to move their produce,” the spokeswoman said

“IFAM has supported more than 130 freight flights since May last year from Cairns to key export markets including Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.”

The planes have been carrying various produce including fresh fish, seafood and crocodile meat, a highly-prized delicacy in Japan.

Cairns Airport’s head of aviation Garry Porter said the flights have enabled agricultural exporters to reach key destination markets and been critical to maintaining air supply links for producers across the Far North.

Qantas Freight taking its cargo load from Cairns to Hong Kong on a Boeing 767. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

“The loads on these all routes have been solid with live lobster, seafood and dried goods on-board,” he said.

“The IFAM flights are due for review in June and we’re hopeful that these flights will continue.”

Ms Ford said she also expected the routes to push into the back half of 2021.

“We would anticipate as long as we have the volume that these routes will continue past that review,” she said

Originally published as Cairns Airport: Key export freight routes flying Far North produce to world have been extended