General News
17 September, 2021
Whitsunday weekend getaway
LOCAL aviation carrier Skytrans is proving the sky is no limit as they launched their inaugural Cairns Whitsunday service this week.
Skytrans Chief Executive Officer, Alan Milne said the Queensland owned company was proud to be expanding its services.
“The big winners will be locals in Cairns, the Whitsunday region and Rockhampton because they will all have additional choice.”
“With school holidays just around the corner, we believe this is a great time to be launching this new route.
“As we see border restrictions ease over the coming months this will also provide opportunity for interstate visitation to two of Queensland’s most iconic destinations.”
“The new services between Cairns – Whitsunday Coast Airport will position the company to grow strongly and is an important stride in our aviation recovery,” Mr Milne said.
Bookings for the services are encouraging with the 60 – 70 per cent seat occupancy for their inaugural service on Monday, with strong bookings into the future.
Priced competitively, weekend getaways to the Whitsundays are affordable with $150 one way and their Rockhampton service $199.
Garry Porter, Chief Operating Officer of Cairns Airport said the commencement of the new service was another great opportunity to connect Tropical North Queensland with the tropical archipelago of islands that make up the Whitsundays, two of Queensland’s most sought after holiday destinations.
“Intrastate connectivity is our number one priority right now as we continue to navigate the impact of border closures and Skytrans is an incredibly innovative airline.
“Their nimble approach to the current travel environment is a great testament to the airline and its commitment to connect Queenslanders.”
“Skytrans are the first airline to operate this service and I commend them for looking beyond traditional routes and identifying this opportunity to better connect the two regions.
“The introduction of new services like these, offers a much-needed boost to our aviation recovery and will go some way to supporting tourism operators across both regions.”
The service operates initially Monday to Friday using a 36-seater Dash 8 - 100 aircraft. Plans are underway to extend the schedule to include weekend flights as well.
