PASSENGERS at Cobar left stranded by Brindabella could have to wait weeks for refunds on tickets according to the airline's Sydney-based receivers KordaMentha.
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It comes amid reports tens-of-thousands of dollars is owed to commuters at 12 city and regional airports across the state for seats paid by credit card on flights scheduled after the Canberra-based airline was officially grounded by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on December 14.
A spokesperson for KordaMentha confirmed yesterday, frustrations over refunds were being amplified for passengers who made cash purchases - citing it was "extremely unlikely" many of those commuters would see their money again.
"The only way any of those cash purchases are likely to be refunded would be if the original point-of-sale offered extended insurance against what has happened to the airline. A number of those sites wouldn't have offered insurance against the company going into receivership.
"It's unfortunate but that's they way it is," the spokesperson said.
KordaMentha was officially appointed receivers of the de-railed air carrier on December 15. It was the same company appointed to handle the liquidation of Ansett Airlines after it collapsed in 2001.
Brindabella, which was founded in 1994 and operated up to 250 flights a week, has since severed ties with more than 140 employees.
Most of its fleet of five US-built Metroliners and seven British Jetstreams have since had their leases terminated and are in the process of being returned to several private consortiums across the country.
Expressions of interest in Brindabella's remaining J41 aircraft have been sought from a number of rival airlines.
One of those rumoured to have purchased three of those aircraft is budget carrier ConnectJet.
ConnectJet is also said to be in discussions with Cobar Shire Council to offer flights in and out of Sydney.
The airline was last year involved in talks with the Dubbo City Council to commence direct services to Melbourne and Brisbane after Regional Express (Rex) threatened to yank flights over additional security charges at Dubbo Regional Airport.
ConnectJet boss Earle Burrows was unavailable for comment yesterday.
But the airlines's lofty ambition to expand its services to remote NSW could be met with serious competition from Rex itself.
The Daily Liberal can confirm Rex has signalled intentions to commence Cobar to Sydney flights from January 27.
The airline called a meeting late yesterday afternoon to shore up support from the council.
Rex has had a turbulent relationship with the Cobar Shire after it withdrew flights in December 2008 - sparking a state government inquiry led by Minister for Western NSW Kevin Humphries into regional air services.
Mr Humphries' Draft Regional Airline Review, published in 2010, called on the government to underwrite seats on regional flights - a deal which was similarly struck between Brindabella and Cobar's three main mining operators as a sweetener when the airline commenced services in September of that year.
A spokesperson for the minister yesterday said it was "expecting positive outcomes for replacements to be found for all the affected routes, with a number of airlines in the mix".
Cobar Shire Council acting general manager Kym Miller said it hoped to get an air service provider into the remote west NSW mining town as soon as possible.
Mr Miller said while only preliminary talks had been held with ConnectJet, he believed there was room for more than one airline to service the town.
"We are very much working on getting another service provider touch down at the airport as soon as possible," Mr Miller said.
Cobar Shire Council mayor Lilliane Brady said the town had a troubled history of unreliable yet costly airlines.
"We want the best service we possibly can for Cobar," she told the Daily Liberal.
Rex has applied to take on services to both Cobar and Mudgee.
The airline's executive chairman Lim Kim Hai lashed out at the federal government over what it described as years of "neglect and oppressive policies" which lead to the closure of Brindabella and disarray of the Australian aviation industry.
"If nothing significant is achieved within the next three months, Brindabella's collapse could well be a precursor of more to come in the regional sector" Kim Hai said.
"It would be ironic if the decimation and collapse of regional aviation in Australia took place under the Nationals' watch."
