Airline takes to North's skies
JENNIFER O'REILLY (
[email protected])
September 3rd, 2009
A NEW airline is moving into North Queensland's skies with carrier Airnorth yesterday announcing a new Gold Coast-Mount Isa-Darwin service.
The services will run weekly starting on October 8.
Mount Isa Airport's chief operating officer Kevin Gill said the new route would bring key benefits to the local community.
''This is great news for the Mount Isa region both for the tourism industry and the business sector,'' Mr Gill said.
''This new service will be extremely positive for business travellers going between Australia's largest resource areas.
Mr Gill said the route meant for the first time Mount Isa residents could fly directly to the beaches of the Gold Coast, the State's holiday playground.
''This is also a fantastic opportunity for the region to link with other key iconic tourism destinations within Australia, combining our great Outback in Mount Isa with the beaches of the Gold Coast and the tropics of Darwin,'' he said.
The new route will also make it easier for Mount Isa residents to travel to international destinations, particularly South-East Asia, from Darwin.
''Most importantly it gives our international visitors travelling into Australia via the Gold Coast and Darwin a quick and direct route to experience the uniqueness of Mount Isa and Queensland's Outback,'' Mr Gill said.
Airnorth's chief executive Michael Bridge said the service would link two of Australia's largest resource areas.
''The route will be operated by one of Airnorth's new generation E170 jets, the latest of which arrived new from the factory earlier this year,'' Mr Bridge said.
''We are launching these services following detailed discussions with representatives of the resources sector in Mount Isa.
''This initiative provides a logical link between two of Australia's largest resource areas, Western Queensland and the Top End.''
Airnorth, based in Darwin, flies more than 250,000 passengers each year mostly on regular scheduled flights throughout the Northern Territory, Western Australia and to East Timor.
The carrier also operates contracted air charter services for mining and offshore companies including Xstrata, Newmont, BHP Billiton, Alcan, Rio Tinto, ConocoPhillips and Woodside as well as a number of Federal Government agencies.
In April 2009, Airnorth took delivery of its second 76-seat E170 Embraer jet and also operates a fleet of 19 and 30-seat turbo-prop aircraft.