Rex flights from Charleville hit capacity as mayor calls for more services

While metro residents enjoy 50c public transport, a rural Queensland mayor says his region's successful flight subsidy scheme desperately needs more capacity.

A flight subsidy scheme has brought southwest Queensland residents back to the skies in droves, and now one mayor says demand is outstripping supply.

As part of the Rex scheme residents are able to access subsidised flights if they live within the Murweh Shire – with flights to Brisbane as cheap as $190.

Murweh Shire Mayor Shaun “Zoro” Radnedge says the region’s 14 flights out of Charleville have now reached capacity, and residents need more.

The scheme was introduced after Covid-19 to bring passenger numbers back to what they were before the pandemic.

Murweh Shire Mayor Councillor Shaun (Zoro) Radnedge called for more flights from Charleville.

“The Rex scheme has been in place for about 3½ years after council entered into a contract with the contractor about landing fees at the Charleville airport to create cheaper airfares for the community,” Mr Radnedge said.

“Rex was going into liquidation and that meant the state government couldn’t add that route with a contractor that was potentially in liquidation.

“Now the new deal has been done to take over Rex in the new year, we will be back at the table to look at how we can build on that capacity to get those seats.”

And while the scheme had been a success, Mr Radnedge said the region had reached the point where it needed additional flights.

“At the moment what we are experiencing is there is no more capacity for seats and that’s been happening for the past 14 months,” he said.

“We have been working hard with the state government to bring more capacity to the contract so we can get more people on more planes and make it more affordable.”

About 13,000 people fly on the Rex flights a year.

“We are looking at a Saturday flight which would add another 3500 seats for the year. This would take the pressure off the capacity problem,” Mr Radnedge said.

13,000 people fly out of Charleville airport every year. Doc Holiday Photo – iStock

Mr Radnedge said access to air travel was a right that people in the regions deserved just as much as their metro counterparts.

“We are seeing 50c public transport in Brisbane; just because you live in a metro area it doesn’t mean you should get cheaper transport, it is imperative that there is a fair playing field across the whole of Queensland,” he said.

“Having access to these flights is about continuity, access to health care, education, and commerce, and for people who need to travel for an event.

“This regulated route is a privilege to have, and it is amazing that Mr Mickelberg is working alongside us as part of this.

“Travel has to be affordable and we need connectivity that suits our timetable.”

Originally published as Rex flights from Charleville hit capacity as mayor calls for more services