Key NT flight routes secured with multimillion-dollar federal government funding boost

CRUCIAL regional air routes within the Territory and domestic flights between Darwin and other major capital cities will be secured into 2021 under a multimillion-dollar federal government funding extension for the aviation sector.

CRUCIAL regional air routes within the Territory and domestic flights between Darwin and other major capital cities will be secured into 2021 under a multimillion-dollar federal government funding extension for the aviation sector.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack will announce on Monday that the upcoming federal budget will include three month extensions for the government domestic aviation and regional aviation support programs.

It is not yet know how much this will cost, though it’s expected to be hundreds of millions of dollars and dependent on how quickly the broader Australian economy recovers and jurisdictions open up their borders.

A number of crucial regional air routes within the Territory and domestic flights between Darwin and other major capital cities will be secured under a multimillion-dollar federal government funding extension. Picture: Che Chorley

The federal government has shelled out more than $150m across both programs since it was put in place in April.

The list of routes to be supported are being finalised but about five domestic journeys departing from Darwin, Alice Springs and Uluru and 15 regional routes that take in Darwin, Maningrida, Gove and Elcho Island are expected to be covered under the extended Domestic Aviation Network Support (DANS) program and the Regional Airline Network Support (RANS) program respectively.

Both programs operate on a “shortfall subsidy basis”, with the federal government paying for any costs not covered by airline revenues.

Under terms and conditions of the funding, airlines must ensure ticket and freight pricing is “commercially reasonable” on domestic routes while fares and freight pricing on regional routes have to be similar to what was in place before COVID-19.

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Mr McCormack said prior to the pandemic one in four Australians would travel by air to visit friends or family every year and underwriting key routes would allow that to happen.

“Planes in the air mean jobs on the ground and as part of our economic plan for a more secure and resilient Australia, we will continue to back our aviation sector,” he said.

“In regional Australia, flights are so central to local economies, underpinning many small businesses including tourism operators, whilst ensuring continued access to key medical supplies and personnel.

“The federal government is doing our bit by underwriting these flights to maintain minimum connectivity, now we need the states and territories to do their bit too as we again encourage the continued easing of border restrictions.”

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The announcement comes behind the federal government’s plan to include a $250m regional tourism revival funding program in the upcoming budget.

RANS program routes include:

• Darwin-Broome-Darwin,
• Darwin-Cairns-Darwin,
• Darwin-Elcho Island-Maningrida-Darwin,
• Darwin-Gove-Cairns-Gove-Darwin,
• Darwin-Gove-Darwin,
• Darwin-Gove-Groote Eylandt-Darwin,
• Darwin-Groote Eylandt-Darwin,
• Darwin-Kununurra-Broome-Kununurra-Darwin,
• Darwin-Kununurra-Perth-Kununurra-Darwin,
• Darwin-Milingimbi-Maningrida-Darwin,
• Darwin-Mininilang (Croker Island)-Warruwi (South Goulburn Island)-Darwin,
• Darwin-Ramingining-Milingimbi-Gapuwiyak (Lake Evella)-Darwin,
• Darwin-Townsville-Darwin,
• Darwin-Wadeye (Port Keats)-Darwin and
• Darwin-Wurrumiyanga (Bathurst Island)-Milikapiti (Snake Bay)-Pirlangimpi (Garden Point)-Darwin.

DANS program routes include:

• Alice Springs-Darwin,
• Ayers Rock-Sydney,
• Darwin-Melbourne,
• Darwin-Perth and
• Darwin-Sydney.