Qantas cuts flights in and out of NT, between Darwin and Alice Springs
Qantas has announced it will reduce flights in and out of the NT as well as between Darwin and Alice Springs. Read what it means for you.
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Qantas passengers face route cuts and flight reductions in and out of the NT in coming months and possibly spilling into 2024 as the national carrier enters the post-Alan Joyce era.
The airline has announced two Alice Springs routes will be scrapped and flagged three fewer flights a week from Alice Springs to Darwin.
The cuts come as NT tourism bodies are calling for a recommitment by the national carrier to Alice Springs and regional Australia.
A Qantas spokesman said the “updated” Northern Territory schedule was due to lower demand over the coming southern summer months and runway works in Darwin.
Flight numbers on the Alice Springs to Darwin route will reduce to nine per week because of night closure periods at Darwin airport between October 8 and November 30, with further closures possible during 2024.
The Qantas spokesman said the regular schedule of 12 flights per week would then return.
He said seat numbers due to larger aircraft for the Sydney to Alice Springs route were up three per cent on last year and down 10 per cent for the same period to Melbourne.
Defending its Territory record, the airline told this publication the Qantas group was operating up to 15 flights per week from Sydney to Darwin, with it and Jetstar are the only carriers operating the route.
The airline’s spokesman also cast shade on its main NT competitor Virgin, mocking it with a comparison of scheduled flights.
“All up, the Qantas Group is scheduled to operate up to 134 return flights in and out of the Northern Territory per week between November and March, 2024,” he said.
“Thirty-two of these flights are scheduled to operate in and out of Alice Springs.
“This is compared to Virgin who operates just five flights per week.”
Virgin previously apologised for scrapping its Sydney-Darwin route in January.
The cuts come as Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford calls for Qantas to reconnect with Alice Springs and regional Australia.
“We have certainly been strongly advocating for the impacts the national airline has been having on communities like Alice Springs for some time now and we have been calling for a more positive frame of mind, and a more positive attitude in all areas,” Mr Rochford said.
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