A NEW Qantas flight service from Tamworth to Dubbo and through to Sydney has taken off.
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Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson welcomed the regional loop at a press conference on Wednesday.
"At this point in time, given the extenuating circumstances and the severe financial impact on the travel industry as well as the transport networks - road, rail, and air, any services that can continue to fly to regional NSW will be gratefully received," he said.
"We will continue to work with them to do what we can to support."
At the moment one flight from Tamworth to Dubbo through to Sydney is available, with the next one booked for next Wednesday.
The situation is prone to change as QantasLink tries to maintain some sort of weekly service.
Dubbo mayor Ben Shields also welcomed the announcement.
"I'm a big believer and supporter of milk runs (flights that have multiple stops) which add diversity to air travel and is genuinely good for the regions.
"It just goes to show that Dubbo is now also in the mix. It has a critical mass with passengers and it's not surprising that airlines are finding ways to keep their flights up here," he said.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has hit the aviation industry hard, Qantas and Jetstar have stood down the majority of its 30,000 employees until at least the end of May 2020.
Qantas declined a request for comment.
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