Scheduling indicates Dubbo will lose up to seven QantasLink flights a week as the carrier moves to provide a more reliable service.
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The airline reports performance on its regional routes has “improved significantly” as a result of recent adjustments to its network and scheduling.
The changes came after a spike in flight cancellations on some routes late last year due to pilot shortages and engineering issues, the Daily Liberal understands.
In November QantasLink cancelled five Sydney to Dubbo flights and seven Dubbo to Sydney flights, figures published by Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development show.
While no official correspondence has been received, flight scheduling indicates Dubbo will lose about six or seven flights out of the 160 flights a week to six destinations.
- Dubbo airport operations manager Jacki Parish
On Friday Dubbo airport operations manager Jacki Parish said QantasLink had indicated it would be cutting services to all regional flights in its network.
“While no official correspondence has been received, flight scheduling indicates Dubbo will lose about six or seven flights out of the 160 flights a week to six destinations,” Ms Parish said.
It is understood that in response to the spike in cancellations, QantasLink made adjustments to the network that saw it operate fewer flights but use larger aircraft so there was a minimal impact on actual capacity.
The number of QantasLink flight cancellations on the Sydney-Dubbo service fell in December and there were none for the month of January, department figures show.
The Daily Liberal understands to ensure an improving trend across routes continues, the schedule changes have been extended through to October.
On Friday when asked to confirm the number of Dubbo flights that would be cut, the company offered assurances to passengers.
“We understand how important a regular, reliable flight schedule is for our regional travellers,” QantasLink chief John Gissing said.
“We’ve been in discussions with community and government stakeholders and will continue to listen and respond to feedback about our schedule.
“Performance on our regional routes has improved significantly as a result of the recent adjustments we made to our network and schedule.
“Our teams are focused ensuring this trend continues, with safety always our top priority.”
Mr Gissing said QantasLink was also investing in its regional fleet with a major cabin upgrade of its turboprop aircraft, including on routes across NSW.
On Thursday it also announced plans to set up the Qantas Group Pilot Academy to train the next generation of pilots.