The Palaszczuk Government has welcomed the announcement by Qantas that it will introduce a 12 month-trial of a discounted fares scheme for residents of Mount Isa and Cloncurry.
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the announcement was fantastic news for regional communities.
“This announcement by Qantas (on Friday) is great news for these communities and should make travel more affordable across the region,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I recently travelled to Mount Isa and heard from residents in Mount Isa and Cloncurry that the fares are just too high. This means people can’t visit family and friends in other parts of the state or attend important medical appointments or education commitments.”
The Premier said the announcement represented a real cost of living relief and includes discounts right up until the day of travel, which was important for those required to travel at short notice.
“Earlier this week we also saw Qantas announce that they will be basing half their Dreamliner Fleet in Brisbane, supporting 470 jobs,” she said.
“Both announcements demonstrate the ongoing importance of Qantas to Queensland, almost 100 years since it was founded in Winton.”
Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport Jackie Trad said the announcement recognised the conditions in regional and remote communities.
“The Palaszczuk Government understands the challenges, which is why we introduced the Local Fare Scheme, which subsidises air fares to remote indigenous communities,” Ms Trad said.
“We will continue to investigate options to make air travel more accessible for regional Queenslanders.”
Qantas Domestic CEO Andrew David said the economics of air travel to remote communities like Mount Isa and Cloncurry can be severely impacted by their remoteness, levels of demand and high operating costs.
“Providing a discount for residents helps to offset some of these forces that can push fares on some flights to levels that become unaffordable,” Mr David said.
To access the discount, residents will need to book a return flight on Qantas. The discounts will only be available for personal travel, and will be limited to four return flights a year for each resident. Discounts of up to 30 per cent will apply, depending on the type of fare purchased.
Full details of the discounted fares scheme for eligible residents, including information on how to book, will be provided in the coming weeks.
