Virgin stays grounded over Alice Springs route

VIRGIN Australia says it has no plans to begin flying to Alice Springs in the near future, despite a Government push for them to do so.

Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Bali secure by The Indonesian Air Force after an incident of an Australian passenger (believed to be Matthew Christopher Lockley) who tried to enter the cockpit.

VIRGIN Australia says it has no plans to begin flying to Alice Springs in the near future, despite a Government push for them to do so.

The campaign for new carriers comes as Tiger Airlines prepares to cease flights to the region on July 22 due to falling demand.

NT Minister for Tourism Matt Conlan recently told an estimates hearing in Darwin that the Government was continuing “to build the case for Virgin Australia to consider reintroduction of capacity between Central Australia and both the Top End and the Barrier Reef gateways to Cairns”.

Mr Conlan said these routes were “desperately being called for by Virgin’s international partner airlines”.

A Virgin spokesman denied the airline would be starting regular flights to the Red Centre anytime soon.

“While we continually review our network, we have no plans to operate services to Alice Springs at this stage,” the spokesman said.

One of Virgin’s international partner airlines, Etihad, which shares flights with Virgin to 45 of their Australian destinations, could play a role in helping get new routes made available.

NT Tourism chief executive Tony Mayell told the estimates hearing that the Government believed there were “great opportunities for Virgin to take a broader stance within the whole NT, and we have been able to galvanise some of their partners offshore.”

Mr Mayell said that partner airlines such as Etihad were “important” in helping attract Virgin to the NT.

“(Offshore carriers) are now putting pressure, not just us, so they are actually joining us as partners to talk to Virgin about the opportunity of putting more Virgin tails into the Territory, both in Central Australia as well,” he said.

A spokesman for Etihad said he wasn’t aware of a conversation between the Abu Dhabi-based airline and the NT Government, but that if Virgin decided to start flying to Alice Springs, they would be open to sharing flights to the location.

The major domestic airline in and out of Alice Springs at present, Qantas, said it had no plans to change its services to the centre despite rumours it could pull out by the end of the year but added “we are always reviewing our network”.