The state government has approved an extra four weekly return flights to the Gulf to help North West Queensland’s flood recovery.
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The extra flights will run until early March and the first additional return flight took off from Cairns on Tuesday, February 12 with freight supplies and 51 passengers on board.
Minister for Communities Coralee O’Rourke said they were funding an additional weekly return air service from Cairns to Normanton, Karumba, Mornington Island, Burketown, Doomadgee and Mount Isa.
“The extra service has been added to the timetable to uplift passengers and freight that would otherwise travel by road to and from remote communities,” Ms O’Rourke said.
“It builds additional capacity for communities like Doomadgee to maintain stocks of fresh food for local residents.”
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said as a regulated air route, four return flights per week to the Gulf region were usually funded by the government and contracted to Regional Express Airlines.
“The additional weekly return flight will also mean produce such as live mud crabs from Karumba that would normally travel by road can continue to be exported to Australian and overseas markets,” Mr Bailey said.
“I want to thank Rex and local councils for working proactively with industry and the Palaszczuk Government to maintain the movement of freight and passengers as the region’s recovery gets underway.”
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
