Cairns Airport welcomes first Singapore passenger flight

A MAJOR international airline has shown its confidence in the local tourism industry after announcing an increase in scheduledflights on the same day it returned to Far North skies.

A MAJOR international airline has shown its confidence in the local tourism industry after announcing an increase in scheduledflights on the same day it returned to Far North skies. Singapore Airlines flight SQ203 touched down in Cairns at 5.31pm on Monday, almost two years after its last passenger flight(under Silk Airlines) departed.

At a celebratory function to mark the occasion, Singapore Airlines regional manager Karl Schubert said the carrier wouldincrease the number of flights into Cairns to five a week from May 1.

Mr Schubert said the bold move was in recognition of the potential of the Cairns network.

“We know that we’re not going to make up over two years of billion- dollar debts in one flight or one week of flights,” hesaid.

“This is going to take quite some time to regrow the market, to build confidence in the market to travel.”

Until May 1 the carrier will operate a tri-weekly service, with the first flight touching down on Monday afternoon.

Richard Barker (Cairns Airport), Karl Schubert (Singapore Airlines) and Mark Olsen (Tourism Tropical North Queensland) cut a cake celebrating the return of international travel and visitors to Cairns. Picture: Yashee Sharma

“That’s something that has been a long time coming. This marks the first step in Australia’s recovery for international travellersto return,” he said. With increased connectivity to the world, Cairns Airport chief executive Richard Barker said the partnershipwith Singapore Airlines would open gateways into even further countries.

“Now we have great connectivity through into Asia and important markets in Europe and opportunities that will emerge in countrieslike India,” he said. More international flights could be expected to come through, Mr Barker said, with Jetstar set to recommence flights to Japan and Bali.

“From July, we’ll (also) have direct flights to New Zealand,” he said.

“There’s activity going on under way between countries to harmonise the quarantine requirements to make it easier to travel.”

Mark Olsen, CEO of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, said the Cairns economy has lost $5.3bn of visitor expenditure and is eager to recoup losses by 2024. Picture: Bronwyn Farr.

Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said the Cairns economy had lost $5.3bn in visitor expenditure and was eager to recoup lossesby 2024.

“It’s a really exciting day for the industry, it’s a huge confidence booster,” Mr Olsen said.

Mr Olsen said most tourism businesses were ready to return as 650 niche businesses out of 2500 tourism products and experienceshad gone into “hibernation”.

Originally published as Cairns Airport welcomes first Singapore passenger flight