Qantas confirms new Ballina flight schedule

QANTAS has released new details for its upcoming morning flights between Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and Sydney.

The airline will run a 7.45am service from Monday to Saturday, getting passengers into Sydney just after 9am with return flights that evening.

From November 24, a second daily service will be added at 11.20am, bringing the total to 13 flights each week.

A QantasLink spokesperson said the schedule changes were designed to give locals more options.

“This includes adding more flights, adjusting our schedule to make it easier for locals to travel to Sydney for day trips, and improving connection times for a number of Qantas international flights, including to Hong Kong, Tokyo and Dallas,” the spokesperson said.

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport manager Julie Stewart said Ballina Shire Council had been working with QantasLink to restore the services, which strengthen the airport’s position as the third busiest in NSW.

Almost 630,000 passengers passed through the terminal last year, reflecting strong demand for flights across the Northern Rivers region.