Rural flights to stay for essential southwest workers

Vital flights will continue to the southwest, as Qantas makes sweeping changes to fit the new minimum domestic network and keep essential travellers moving.

Roma and Charleville won’t lose out as Qantas makes major changes to fit the minimum domestic network; it will still run two services a week to the southwest.

FEWER planes are landing in the west as travel demand crashes during the coronavirus pandemic, but the region will not go without a service, Qantas has confirmed.

The airline has made sweeping changes to its national schedule to fit the newly-created minimum domestic network which officially takes off today in a bid to keep essential travellers and freight moving to key locations around Australia.

Services from Brisbane to both Roma and Charleville will remain on the new, federal government-subsidised network, which has prioritised regional centres which are furthest from capital cities, a Qantas spokesman said.

“While travel restrictions mean most passenger flights are not commercially viable at the moment, there remains a need for some essential travel – particularly given the distances between most Australian cities,” he said.

“The temporary regional network focuses on towns that are more than two hours’ drive from key transport hubs.

“These flights will also provide critical freight capacity, which has fallen significantly as commercial air networks have shrunk; much of the bellyspace on these flights will be used for mail and other urgent shipments, including medical equipment.”

Under the minimum domestic network, two services per week will arrive in Roma, before continuing on to Charleville.

On board the flights, there will be more rule changes to accommodate coronavirus prevention policies, the spokesman added.

“While the risk of contracting coronavirus on board an aircraft is regarded as low, social distancing has been put in place across all flights,” he said.

“Similarly, on-board service will be a scaled-back version of what would normally apply, with cabin crew focused on in-flight safety and they will wear personal protective equipment.

“On behalf of the Qantas Group, we sincerely thank our crew for their willingness to make these important flights possible.”

The changes at Qantas have come weeks after Regional Express made a deal with the Queensland Government to keep its planes in the air across Queensland.

It is now running one weekly service on the Western 1 and 2 routes, which connect the region to Toowoomba and Brisbane.

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