A new airline in Darwin has brought hopes of more regional routes

The first new domestic carrier to land in Darwin in almost 20 years touched down on Friday in what the airline’s owners hope is just the start of something much bigger.

New domestic carrier Nexus Airlines completed its inaugural flight into Darwin on Friday afternoon.

The Western Australian airline based out of Kununurra is the first new domestic carrier to land in Darwin since Tiger Airways began services in 2007, and the first new carrier since the short-lived Donghai Airlines’s Shenzhen service launched five years ago.

With about 40 passengers on board, the de Havilland Dash 8 Q400 aircraft departed Broome at 7.05am for Kununurra before arriving in Darwin a little after the scheduled 11.45am landing due to disruption caused by Defence exercise Talisman Sabre.

Passengers disembarking the aircraft applauded the new route which supports the geographic, population and cultural links between north-west Western Australia and the NT.

Businessman David Barr welcomed the new Nexus service.

Businessman David Barr, who owns a caravan park in Kununurra and a hotel in Darwin, said the new service gave him more transport options when commuting between the two centres from his home in Melbourne.

“It was really exciting to be a part of actually,” he said.

“I fly regularly between my businesses in Darwin and Broome and this is a welcome addition.

“The flight was smooth and the staff were friendly and I would recommend the service.”

Nexus chief executive Michael McConachy acknowledged the support of the Airport Development Group in securing the new route to the Territory.

He said he hoped to ratchet services into Darwin from four a week to one a day by next month.

He said a priority of the new airline was offering middle-of-day services from the Kimberley into the Northern Territory.

Deputy chief minister Nicole Manison was at the Airport to meet the first Nexus flight.

“Our group is very passionate about economic development in regional Northern Australia and growing tourism,” he said.

“A lot of our businesses are based around tourism and we definitely want to use Nexus to grow tourism in the NT, the Kimberley and right across Northern Australia.”

Mr McConachy recently visited Alice Springs airport at the invitation of ADG chief executive Tony Edmondstone and said other NT services were possible in the future.

“We’re looking at a whole range of options but we haven’t got anything locked in at this stage but we’re definitely looking at what the options might be,” Mr McConachy said.

He said the airline is open to all regional NT routes including a possible milk-run including Gove, Katherine and Tennant Creek, as well as Alice Springs.

Cabin crew manager Michael Curry and cabin crew member Roberta Bassano.

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison was at the airport to welcome Nexus.

“If we get more airlines and more competition, that means more availability for Territorians, for people in business and for tourists to be able to come to the Northern Territory and importantly, it helps put pressure on the cost of airlines.”

“It goes to show that if Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland band together, we’re going to get better outcomes for the people in Northern Australia.”

The NT government recently contributed $10m to a $20m pool to attract new aviation businesses to the NT.

Mr Emondstone said it was rare to welcome a new airline to Darwin and said Nexus could play a significant role in connecting the top end of Australia, particularly Darwin, as well as future aspirations from the centre as well.”

Nexus fares from Kununurra to Darwin start from $199, Broome to Kununurra from $235 and Broome to Darwin from $349.