Skytrans managing director Simon Wild on Friday cited the loss of a major government contract to run regulated routes and the falling Australian dollar as the catalysts the collapse, which occurred two days after the airline flew the last of those subsidised routes.

The routes were awarded to New South Wales airline Regional Express, commonly known as Rex, in October.

Skytrans operations general manager Tony Morrison said six Queensland communities – Bamaga, Lockhart River, Aurukun, Coen, Pormpuraaw (Edward River) and Kowanyama – had been left without air services as a result of the airline's demise.

That would become an increasingly urgent situation as northern roads were cut during the wet season, he said.

"With the wet season coming, we carried a lot of essential services – freight, Australia Post mail and things like that – to these people," Mr Morrison said.

"Also, in the coming weeks, you'll have a lot of police, teachers, nurses and doctors etc trying to get back to these placements following their Christmas breaks."

Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch, whose electorate takes in Cape York, was critical of his state Liberal National Party colleagues' decision to strip Skytrans of the regulated routes.

"There are lessons there for the state minister, that you don't just look at these things blindly, as they did with Rex aviation," he said.

"…It just shows that if you make a decision, the consequences are quite significant, particularly in places like Coen, where there is no other alternative than air transport.

"The other ones at least can get a barge service in the wet season, but Coen can't.

"Those sorts of things need to be factored in when they're looking at the next lot of contracts."

Mr Entsch said services to the remote Cape York communities should be subsidised just like the seven "milk run" routes now run by QantasLink and Rex, which service much of the state.

"The needs of the citizens of Aurukun or Coen are no less than the needs of the citizens of Winton or Charleville," he said.

"The reality is, the disadvantage is actually more significant and I think lessons need to be learnt out of this, otherwise they'll open themselves up to a lot of criticism."

A spokeswoman for Queensland Transport Minister Scott Emerson said additional regulated routes on Cape York were not on the government's agenda.

"We are now in discussions with other private operators about the Cape York air routes and are encouraged by the strong level of interest," she said.

"Given the level of interest, there are no plans to subsidise or regulate other Queensland air routes."

One of those interested parties was Rex, the airline that won the tender process for the regulated routes over Skytrans.

Rex chief operating officer Neville Howell said it was "incumbent" on the airline to do what it could to help the affected communities, "as a mark of appreciation of the tremendous trust" the Queensland government had placed in it.

"Rex is fully aware of the critical importance of air services to some of the very isolated communities in the Cape, especially during the wet season," he said.

"…Rex will seek permission from (the Civil Aviation Safety Authority) and Skytrans to perform emergency charter substitution services so that the communities will not be completely cut off for weeks."

Fairfax Media understands CASA required at least four weeks' notice of Rex's intention to expand its network and the airline had been unable to negotiate with the regulator over the weekend.

Unless that process was expedited, the six airports would be left without services until at least the end of January.

Fairfax Media also understands the suitability of Rex's fleet of SAAB 340s for use on the remote airstrips had not yet been assessed.

The collapse of Skytrans led to 188 job losses, with the state Labor opposition putting the blame squarely at the LNP government's feet.

"[Premier] Campbell Newman promised to grow regional economies yet the collapse of Skytrans and the reported loss of close to 200 jobs is a direct result of actions by him and the LNP," Labor MP Bill Byrne said.

"It was the LNP who gave a NSW airline the contracts previously held by Skytrans for regional Queensland air routes."

Cook Shire mayor Peter Scott said the anger in the north over the treatment of Skytrans, which he described as great corporate citizens, was palpable.

"When the decision was made about the regulated routes, to give it to a NSW-based operation versus a Queensland Cairns-based operation, all of us on the Cape reckoned that stunk," he said.

"…The Wilds have been up here for many years and they're very good community people. They've been major sponsors of the basketball – the [Cairns] Taipans – but also lots and lots of community groups and campaigns.

"…Simon is a friend and a great business person with real strong ethics and principles and this is what annoys us, that they've done the right thing all the time and they've been basically shafted."

Whatever the outcome of route negotiations, Mr Entsch said air services on Cape York needed to be sorted out quickly.

"We've got to do it, mate. The rain's just started and Coen's shut off now," he said.

"Coen will not reopen until the end of April, early May. As soon as the rain hits, that's it."

Mr Entsch said he was sure one or two operators he had spoken with would be able to fill the breach left by Skytrans.

"I'm confident [they'll sort it out soon]. Don't worry, I'll be all over it like a fat kid on a cupcake," he said.