QantasLink chief executive Rachel Yangoyan on new routes and Connecting Queensland fund

The state’s new Connecting Queensland aviation fund isn’t high on the agenda of QantasLink’s boss, but the chief executive says taxpayer support is essential to regional aviation.

Arun Singh Mann

less than 2 min read

June 8, 2025 - 5:00AM

The Cairns Post

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The state’s new Connecting Queensland aviation fund isn’t immediately high on the agenda of QantasLink’s boss, but the chief executive says taxpayer support is essential to regional aviation.

Last week Premier David Crisafulli unveiled his government’s airline attraction scheme – the Connecting Queensland fund – which replaced Labor’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

While the fund will aim to attract tourists and routes from across the globe, and the nation, into Queensland, Mr Crisafulli said part of the strategy was to create “better connections to regions” and put “every corner of Queensland on the map”.

“We’re maximising the opportunity from the global opportunity of the 2032 Games to grow our economy and develop more travel options for Queenslanders,” he said.

Premier David Crisafulli pictured addressing the media at Suncorp Stadium, 2nd June 2025. Photo: Josh Woning

The details of the fund are expected in the June 25 state budget, and Labor’s scheme was worth $200m.

Arguably the most active airline across regional Queensland is QantasLink but its chief executive Rachel Yangoyan said the fund, nor any new routes were on the immediate horizon for the flying kangaroo across the sunshine state.

“Not anything at this point, but we continue to look at demand,” Ms Yangoyan while in Cairns for the unveiling of the airline’s newly named Horn Island Q400 plane.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. QantasLink chief executive Rachel Yangoyan with staff on the aircraft's first flight from Cairns to Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

“As Queensland gets ready for the Olympics coming up, and that will continue to spur leisure and tourism and things like that, we hope to be a really great partner as for Queensland, as we see those opportunities come about.”

Ms Yangoyan said she was not familiar with the Queensland government’s newest scheme but underscored the importance of taxpayer resources propping up regional aviation.

“I think for regional aviation and connecting, thinner, smaller communities (these funds) are really important,” she said.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island at Cairns Airport. Picture: Qantas

“There are very clear structural challenges for some of these regional communities in terms of being able to provide air services; be that fuel, airport charges, engineering costs for aircraft spread across small thin markets.

“It makes it really challenging, so to ensure connectivity to some of these places … that is incredibly important that governments look at that more broadly and figure out ways to continue to support those communities.”