1 HOUR JET SERVICE FROM HORN TO CAIRNS
The following article was printed by the Torres News in this weeks paper. All of the below is subject to regulatory authority approvals and acceptance by Queensland Transport and the Premier and Cabinet of our tender.
The Torres Strait will have a Jet service which will cut traveling times between Cairns and Horn Island to 1 hour if a new consortium are granted the tender for the regulated route to come into operation from the beginning of next year, as spokesman for the consortium has told the Torres News.
Operations and Sales Marketing Manager for Aero-Tropics Ross Briton says the new EMB170 Embraer Jet will have a capacity of eight business class seats and sixty four economy class seats, a total of 72 passengers. The key stakeholders are Aero-Tropics, SkyAirWorld, Horn Islands airport Operators, Torres Shire Council and the people of the Torres Strait.
“Our aircraft is available NOW. This is not a pipe dream. It is sitting in Brisbane NOW” he said. QantasLink holds the current license to fly between Horn Island - Cairns which expired on June 30, 2007, but was extended to December 31.
The aircraft will visit Horn Island on Friday for demonstration flights around the Torres Strait to community leaders and the media. It will also visit Weipa later in the day for the same function with the consortium tendering for the lucrative Cairns - Weipa route
Aero-Tropics says it has secured the backing of the major international aircraft leasing company SkyAirWorld for the tender. A local steering committee is being formed in both the Torres Strait and Weipa to assist in the tender process.
On the issue of staffing, Aero-Tropics will employ full-time and casual local staff in the Horn Island airport ground handling.
Regarding the length of the horn Island airport runway, Mr Briton said “The current runway length will not stop us from being able to operate the aircraft out of Horn Island will the full passenger compliment under normal flying conditions.