Alliance airlines decision welcomed

Isaac Regional Council has welcomed Alliance Airlines’ decision to fly scheduled services between Brisbane and Moranbah.

“We have been advocating for this for a long time,” Mayor Anne Baker said today. “Having a second airline offering regular flights is wonderful news for residents of the region.

“History shows that competition is good for consumers, and we expect our residents will see the benefits of this second carrier in the cost and convenience of future flights.

Mayor Baker said the Isaac Regional Council had been concerned about a lack of competition on the Brisbane-Moranbah route since Virgin Airlines pulled out in late 2017.

“As we told a Senate inquiry into regional air services two years ago, Moranbah has been one of the, most expensive destinations in Queensland to access via aviation.

“There have been times when flying Brisbane-Moranbah cost more than flying Brisbane-Paris.”

“Council aims to attract people to live, work and play in the Isaac Region but the high cost of airfares is a significant barrier to achieving that aim.

“Families with ties in capital cities or other parts of regional Australia can be reluctant to relocate when it is prohibitively expensive to return ‘home’ for family occasions or emergencies.’.

Alliance Airlines announced today it will fly seven scheduled services a week to Moranbah from August 17 – using its Fokker 70 jets – with further flights in future if demand warrants them.

The airline also has stated that competition on this important route will ensure the whole region benefits from additional capacity and lower fares.

Mayor Baker said Moranbah was a significant regional destination and deserved more competitive airfares.

“It is well known that Isaac Regional Council prefers mining and related companies to have their staff live in the region rather than use the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) model.

“However, the FIFO model obviously relies on air services and, with the mining industry continuing to perform strongly during the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for flights has also been strong.

“For example, it was reported that in at least one month more passengers flew from Brisbane to Moranbah than from Brisbane to Melbourne – and that was long before the current Melbourne lockdown started.

“The Isaac region deserves to have competitive airfares and service times, and having a second airline join the Moranbah route achieves a long-held goal for Council.”

Ends

News Editors: Drone video footage and stills of Moranbah are available via this Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2058j48ocfgkga2/AAC7YjFVNAOTR3FyhRy4wi3Ya?dl=0

The Isaac Regional Council submission to the Senate inquiry (Inquiry submission Number 85) into regional air services can be viewed via this link: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Rural_and_Regional_Affairs_and_Transport/RegionalAirRoutes/Submissions

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Isaac Regional Council Media on 4846 3589