Qantas announces more services between Townsville and Cairns

Qantas is adding more than 15 return flights per week across regional Queensland including between Townsville and Cairns

Qantas is adding more than 15 return flights per week across regional Queensland, including at Townsville, while Regional Express has won the dogfight with Johnathan Thurston’s Skytrans in the battle for the subsidised air routes.

Rex won state government tenders for six out of seven of the regulated regional routes with QantasLink claiming the other.

Meanwhile, the government has also announced winning tenders for long distance coach services, with changes including Greyhound taking on the Townsville to Mount Isa run.

In scheduled services which are not subsidised, QantasLink will use its Q400 turboprop aircraft, providing five additional Cairns-Townsville services to a total of 32 return flights per week, six additional Townsville-Mackay services to a total of 21 return flights per week and four additional Cairns-Horn Island services to a total of 19 return flights per week.

QantasLink will add to regional Queensland services using its Q400 aircraft.

On the regulated routes, the State Government awarded QantasLink the rights to continue services to Longreach, Barcaldine and Blackall from Brisbane for the next five years.

Qantas also announced resumption of services between Sydney and Toowoomba next year.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said Qantas started in Queensland 101 years ago and they were delighted to be increasing their regional and interstate flights in the State.

Of the other regulated routes, Rex was awarded the Central 1 Route, the Northern Routes 1 and 2, the Gulf Route and Western Routes 1 and 2.

Earlier this year, regional operator Skytrans announced it would challenge Rex for five regulated routes, including the northern routes between Townsville-Winton-Longreach and Townsville-Hughenden-Richmond-Julia Creek-Mount Isa and the Gulf route between Cairns-Normanton-Karumba-Mornington Island-Burketown-Doomadgee-Mount Isa.

Mount Isa MP Robbie Katter had backed Skytrans, claiming performance standards had dropped under Rex, but this was disputed with Rex deputy chairman John Sharp, a former Nationals transport minister, accusing Mr Katter of making “baseless” allegations.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said contracts were negotiated through a competitive open market process with independent legal oversight that ensured the process was robust and free from interference.

The Government will provide $5.1 million a year for the long-distance coaches services and $11.7 million a year for the regional air services under the new contracts.

The five-years contracts apply from next year

Originally published as Qantas announces more services between Townsville and Cairns