NT tourism facing ‘challenge’ as flight cancellations across the country continue

Tourism operators are feeling the effects of flight cancellations despite a bumper dry season.

HOTELS and tourism operators are bearing the brunt of an increasing number of flight cancellations at major Territory airports.

Passengers have been left stranded and school holiday plans left in ruins amid shortfalls in airline crews across the nation, with NT flights being impacted heavily in recent weeks.

At one point, eight flights were cancelled in a single night causing chaos for hundreds of travellers.

Tourism Top End general manager Glen Hingley said operators had been subject to the knock-on effect of flight cancellations, describing the situation as a “challenge” for his industry.

“For some of our tour operators who were all set to go and their customers were getting off (the plane) last night … and they’re not here,” Mr Hingley said.

Tourism Top End’s Glen Hingley has said airline chaos is impacting the tourism industry. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“The chain reaction is they’re not in the accommodation (or) the places they’re going to be catering for with their food and beverage.”

Mr Hingley said many operators were still busy at present, with worker shortages also a handbrake on the industry.

It comes as the NT government continues to push back at airlines over disruptions to travel.

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison said “economies of scale” on the East Coast had likely been behind a series of cancellations in recent weeks in and out of Darwin International Airport.

Ms Manison also took aim at Qantas over its decision to reduce or scrap altogether several key routes in and out of Alice Springs, saying the airline had abandoned the ‘NT’ in its name.

“We know that the Australian aviation industry right now is going through an extraordinary time,” she said.

“There’s clearly a lot of money to be made on the East Coast market, which is disappointing for a place like the Northern Territory.

Tourism Minister Nicole Manison has lashed out at airlines for cancelling flights. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“They should be delivering a better service to the Territory, to Territorians, because we are in a more isolated place and we are so reliant on those airline services.”

Ms Manison said she was having further meetings with airline bosses this week.

It comes after Jetstar cancelled eight flights in a single night last week, leaving some passengers stuck in Darwin for up to a week.

Qantas also announced it was reshuffling its Alice Springs-Adelaide route, introducing smaller planes and cutting the overall number of seats by 22 per cent.

That announcement followed on from an earlier decision to scrap the Red Centre’s direct flights to Perth altogether, a decision justified because of Alice’s connections to the South Australian capital.

Ms Manison made the comments as the NT government announced it had overhauled the system by which tour operators could register their business.

The government said the changes would streamline the process of tour operators applying to visit certain areas.

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