Alice Springs deputy mayor on regional alliance, redirected Yulara flights

Alice Springs will look to unite regional councils to secure affordable airfares for Central Australia and other struggling tourist towns. Read what else was suggested here.

Alice Springs Town Council is investigating options to get flights back to the Red Centre, including forming an alliance with other councils and redirecting flights from Yulara.

In an open meeting of the Alice Springs Town Council on Tuesday, deputy mayor Eli Melky raised the idea of forming a coalition with councils such as Katherine and Townsville to encourage airlines to get affordable flights back to the regions.

“I suggest an alliance of similar Australian regional towns, to get together and have a discussion about how we can combine our whole population so the vote is bigger,” he said.

“We need to start working with other like-minded towns that are tourism destinations who are suffering the same way.”

Alice Springs deputy mayor Eli Melky said the loss of affordable airfares in and out of regions were “another form of damage to our economy”.

The loss of 30,000 seats in and out of the region was “another form of damage to our economy, damage to our brand and damage to our community”, he said.

Mr Melky also pledged to redirect flights from Yulara to Alice Springs, stating the “massive commercial” growth in Yulara could “in no way possibly benefit our economy”.

“I believe that needs to change, as to how we get that, I think for me today is the first day of a very long road that I intend to pursue.

“I declare that my goal is to redirect flights back to Alice Springs however I do it, whatever it takes, however long it takes.

“That can’t continue.”

Mr Melky said the town was missing out on a “huge economic benefit”, alongside the opportunity to attract workers to the town to provide essential services to the community.

“So it’s not just the people in hotels who are making money and benefiting … it’s everyone.”

Alice Springs mayor Matt Paterson said it needed to be knocking on the doors of Rex and Bonza to bring competition to the region.

Mr Paterson raised a positive of the week was that Jetstar had been forced to land on the town’s tarmac for seven hours, “so they do know where we are”.

There were only two tourism destinations that did not have Jetstar services in the country and Alice Springs was one of them, he said.

Qantas to cut 30,000 Alice Springs, Uluru seats in mass service reductions

Qantas has quietly slashed thousands of seats in and out of Alice Springs and Yulara (Uluru) airports in “another blow” to the embattled region.

Tourism Central Australia’s chief executive Danial Rochford said 30,000 seats in and out of the region would be cut by October this year, during the region’s peak tourism season.

He said the news follows 30,000 seats already cut early last year.

“With Covid, crime and anti-social challenges, and the firestorm of national negative media that is saying Alice is unsafe, this is just another blow to our region,” Mr Rochford said.

“TCA has long identified aviation as a clear roadblock to growth and development.

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said aviation competition was critical in attracting affordable flights in and out of the region. Picture: Matthew Thompson

“(It) not only impacts tourism but strikes at the heart of liveability of our region.”

Mr Rochford said the upcoming cuts would mostly impact services between the Red Centre and its “major source market” of Victoria and Sydney.

Last year’s reductions saw the region lose direct connectivity to Perth, as well as some Adelaide and Brisbane services.

A Qantas spokesman confirmed the cuts were being made but pointed to discounted airfares for locals.

Qantas is the main carrier in and out of Central Australia, with direct Virgin and Jetstar flights limited. Photo: Emma Murray

“We had forecast higher demand on flights to and from Alice Springs and added additional capacity into our schedule,” the spokesman said.

“But given that demand hasn’t materialised we are pulling back on some of these additional flights and will use smaller aircraft on some routes.

“Despite the changes, we are operating a similar amount of capacity from Alice Springs between April and October as we did at the same time last year.

“Across the Northern Territory, we are actually increasing capacity over the coming months and will be back above our pre-Covid flying by the middle of the year.”

It comes shortly after as the company posted a record $1.43bn half year profit.

“No one is celebrating that profit in Central Australia today,” Mr Rochford said.

“I was speaking to a longtime local recently and they were saying they’ve never felt so isolated.

“It is not uncommon to hear stories of families being charged upwards of $4000 to fly in and out.”

Mr Rochford said the tourism body wrote to Tourism and Hospitality Minister Nicole Manison two weeks ago requesting the government act urgently to attract other airlines to the region, particularly regional carriers Rex and Bonza.

The Qantas flight cuts also impact seats in and out of Yulara Airport for travellers visiting Uluru. Picture: Supplied

He said on Monday morning TCA had not received a response.

“We need the NT government to roll up their sleeves and attract competition in the market,” Mr Rochford said.

“We’re effectively having the rug pulled out from beneath us every time an announcement like this is made.”

Ms Manison said the cuts were “very disappointing”.

“Territorians deserve access to regular and affordable flights and this also has impacts on tourism,” she said.

“We will keep lobbying Qantas about the importance of backing Territorians by providing more access to flights.

“We are working with all domestic aviation carriers to lift capacity and bring competition to the Northern Territory.”

Mr Rochford has recently called for the Territory and federal governments to offer a jointly-funded multimillion-dollar recovery package to help the region bounce back from an “immeasurably damaged” reputation.

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Originally published as Alice Springs deputy mayor on regional alliance, redirected Yulara flights