Travel agency launches Townsville to Uluru charters flights

In what is believed to be an industry first, travel agency Travel Associates Townsville is chartering a jet to operate package tours to Uluru.

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IF Uluru is on your bucket list, now is the time to go, flying direct from Townsville.

In what is believed to be an industry first, travel agency Travel Associates Townsville is chartering a jet to operate package tours to Uluru.

The agency’s franchise owner, Debbie Rains said they were responding to demand for travel, while also, hopefully, providing much-needed work for the agency.

“COVID-19 and the subsequent closing of domestic and international borders has meant we have had to look outside the box and create travel opportunities for our clients,” Ms Rains said.

Uluru

“People are keen to start travelling again, albeit fairly close to home and to other COVID-safe locations.”

The agency is chartering an Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 jet and has arranged a package called the Uluru Weekend Adventure.

It includes return flights from Townsville to the Ayres Rock/Connellan Airport, two nights’ accommodation at the Sails in the Desert Hotel, national park passes and Uluru tour from $1672 per person twin share.

Other tours including A Sounds of Silence Dinner under the stars and a Field of Light Star Evening are optional extras.

The charters are operating on November 6-8 and November 27-29 and are hoped to be repeated in the New Year.

While they had done charters to the NRL finals, Ms Rains said flights to Uluru were a first for them.

“I don’t recall anybody doing something like this before,” Ms Rains said.

She said the direct flight meant people could avoid the intercity transfers so often associated with travel from regional centres like Townsville.

Interstate flights have been brought to a virtual standstill while those travel agents who are working have been doing virtually nothing but process refunds since Australia closed its border in March.

Virgin Australia has been cutting routes including to Ayers Rock and Hervey Bay from Sydney and to Cloncurry and Bundaberg from Brisbane as part of restructuring under new ownership.

Originally published as Travel agency launches Townsville to Uluru charters flights