More flight cuts announced following Gold Coast cancellations

PANCHO SYMES with MITCHELL CRAIG

Northern Rivers travellers are set to face higher fares and fewer flight options, as airlines cut domestic services amid surging fuel costs.

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin have reduced capacity across their domestic networks, with routes including Darwin to the Gold Coast scrapped as jet fuel prices have “more than doubled and remain highly volatile” since February.

That includes a reduction in domestic capacity of about five percentage points in the final quarter, with airlines also shifting aircraft onto more profitable international routes.

“Affected Qantas and Jetstar customers are being contacted directly and offered alternative flights or a refund,” the company said.

The changes are expected to flow through to the Northern Rivers, where travellers rely on nearby airports for access to major cities, while tourism operators face the prospect of fewer visitors and rising costs.

 

 

Tweed Shire mayor Chris Cherry said any reduction in services would be felt across the region.

“The loss of some direct city flights from our airport impacts our community and the ease of domestic travel at a time when overseas travel has become a lot more uncertain, and people are needing greater flexibility in domestic options,” the mayor said.

Cherry said rising fuel costs and flight changes could make people think twice about travelling.

“With fuel prices across the board and these flight changes, we will likely see a slowing,” she said.

While much of Tweed’s tourism is driven by nearby markets such as Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the mayor said the region would still feel the loss of visitors from further afield.

“Tweed is in the fortunate position that the majority of its tourism comes from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but we will certainly feel the loss of those people coming in from Melbourne and Sydney and overseas as flights become more expensive,” she said.

“Price increases particularly impact on that impulse tourism where people just decide ‘why don’t we head there for the weekend?’.”

Cherry said the airport plays a key role in connecting the Northern Rivers to major cities, particularly for visitors.

“Gold Coast airport is integral to our region, both in terms of work opportunities and family connections but also importantly for our broader tourism industry,” she said.

She said one response may be a greater focus on closer markets, particularly Southeast Queensland.

“Seeing how easily our industries can be influenced by overseas actions, I think Northern Rivers and particularly tourism will look to focus more locally on the market in SE Queensland, which we have right on our doorstep,” she said.

“We are incredibly lucky that we have such a quality food, arts and culture, and agritourism offering along with the experiential tourism like the Rail Trail, so that we are in a strong position to weather these changes if we have the right perspective.”

 

 

Qantas said it continues to see strong demand for international travel, particularly to Europe, and has redeployed aircraft from domestic routes to increase flights to destinations including Paris and Rome.

At the same time, reduced services elsewhere could shift some demand toward Ballina Byron Gateway Airport.

Ballina Shire mayor Sharon Cadwallader said the airport was well placed to respond if passenger demand moved.

“What we’re seeing now is really a shift in airline capacity, not a drop in demand and that does create an opportunity for Ballina Byron Gateway Airport and for our broader region,” the Ballina Shire mayor said.

 

 

“Ballina has long been a convenient and welcoming entry point to the Northern Rivers, and when capacity tightens elsewhere, we’re well placed to support that demand.”

“We’re already seeing that travellers value the ease of coming in through Ballina and being close to places like Byron Bay, Lennox Head and our hinterland communities.”

“In the short term, this may be driven by global pressures on the aviation industry, but it also gives us a chance to showcase what we do well.”

“Even a modest increase in passenger numbers can make a real difference to our local economy.”

“Importantly, it reinforces the role Ballina plays in the region’s transport network.

“We’re not just a local airport, we’re a key gateway to the Northern Rivers, and we’re ready to play that role.”

Qantas said it is “closely monitoring the situation given the ongoing uncertainty in global fuel supply chains”, with fuel costs for the second half of the financial year expected to reach up to $3.3 billion.