Dubbo Regional Council reports it continues to work with all airlines to ensure customer needs are met.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Recent scheduling indicates the city will lose up to seven QantasLink flights a week as the carrier deals with pilot availability issues and other challenges across three states.
On Friday QantasLink CEO John Gissing told the Daily Liberal performance on its regional routes had improved significantly as a result of recent adjustments it had made to its network and schedule.
Dubbo Regional Council operates the Dubbo City Regional Airport.
“Qantaslink have indicated that they are cutting services to all regional flights in their network,” Dubbo airport operations manager Jacki Parish said on Friday.
“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 Regional Council continues to work with all airlines to ensure customer needs are meet – and a key component of that is consistency of services.
“So from a traveller perspective we believe it’s better that flights are not scheduled, rather than cancelled at the last minute due to pilot availability or insufficient passenger numbers.
“There remains substantial services to Sydney which are provided by two airlines.”
Dubbo MP Troy Grant told the Daily Liberal last week: “I like yourself have only just become aware of this announcement and am seeking information.”
Nationals colleague and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson had his eye on the issue.
“Any reduction in transport options for regional travellers is never a good thing, however I understand QantasLink’s ongoing troubles with attracting and retaining pilots is taking its toll,” he said on Friday.
“I have been in discussions with QantasLink CEO John Gissing about the impact on regional areas and the need to ensure the temporarily reduced schedule still services the needs of the community.”
On Thursday Qantas announced it would establish a pilot academy capable of training up to 500 pilots a year, to help meet the increasing need for skilled aviators.
The Qantas Group Pilot Academy is expected to open its doors to students during 2019 and is liekly to be established “near an existing airfield in regional Australia”.
That’s sparked interest in regional cities, including from Mr Anderson.
“Tamworth has a long history with aviation training history and is ideally placed to make QantasLink’s new pilot academy a success which is why I will be discussing a proposal with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro to put forward Tamworth as a viable location with the appropriate infrastructure to meet the needs of Qantas into the future,” he said.
Faye Wheeler
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
I have been a journalist for more than a decade and in that time I have been keeping Daily Liberal readers up to date about issues affecting them and what's happening in their community. Throughout my career I have covered a range of rounds and most recently I have been focusing on the business round.
