Qantas announced on Thursday that they will boost regional connectivity with up to five weekly flights between Brisbane and Port Macquarie. Following Virgin Australia’s decision to exit certain markets, Qantas will maintain critical links to key regional cities.
Today (September 10, 2020), Qantas announced that they will bolster regional connectivity with the launch of up to five weekly flights between Brisbane and Port Macquarie. The flights will provide over 700 weekly seats on the route which will be operated with a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 turboprop (formerly Bombardier Q-400). As Virgin Australia has exited several routes, Qantas is committed to maintaining vital transportation links between key regional cities and will back-fill capacity on other routes as demand recovers. In Thursday’s announcement, QantasLink’s CEO, John Gissing, said,
“As the national carrier, and the country’s largest airline, we have an important role to play in driving tourism and helping the industry get back on its feet. We also know how important air travel is for regional communities, for residents and business travellers. We’re pleased to be able to support customers with ongoing connectivity where there is demand. We know there is pent up demand for domestic travel with Australians wanting to explore their own backyard. We expect the new flights to Port Macquarie will be popular with Queensland travellers looking to visit the beautiful coastal town so we hope an easing of travel restrictions will make this possible. These extra flights are also another step towards our recovery and getting more of our people back to work.”
The schedule for Brisbane-Port Macquarie service will be published once travel restrictions are lifted. Qantas calls for border openings based on medical risk assessments and encourages their employees to sign a petition in support of safely opening borders. The company has also implemented numerous initiatives for the health and wellbeing of their guests and team members as part of their “Fly Well” program as well as greater booking flexibility.
Source: Qantas