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Regional airline Airnorth is set to launch a new non-stop route connecting Cairns with Alice Springs.
The service, to be operated with 100-seat Embraer E190 aircraft, will fly three times per week return between the two destinations starting 14 April, and is estimated to add around 30,000 seats per year on the route.
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“The Cairns-Alice Springs service is strategically designed to meet the needs of Northern Queensland’s growing FIFO workforce in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, while also catering to domestic and international tourists eager to explore iconic Australian landmarks,” the airline said in a press release.
Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and will be the only non-stop connection between Cairns and Alice Springs.
“We are thrilled to expand our network with the addition of the Cairns to Alice Springs service. This route connects key regions of Australia, facilitating economic growth and creating opportunities for travellers to explore the diverse landscapes of the Great Barrier Reef and the Red Centre,” said Daniel Bowden, CEO of Airnorth.
“Airnorth is committed to serving regional communities and meeting the evolving needs of our customers.”
Airnorth already flies from Alice Springs to Darwin, Katherine, Tennant Creek, and Perth, with the Perth service having commenced in March 2024.
The Perth-Alice Springs route, first announced in December 2023, uses smaller E170 regional jets and is estimated to add almost 24,000 seats between Perth and Alice Springs every year. It marked the first time any airline has connected Alice Springs non-stop to Perth since the end of a Qantas route in 2022.
“The new route offers customers more connectivity between Western Australia and the Northern Territory, just in time for the highly anticipated dry season,” Bowden said at the time of the launch.
Based in Darwin and with offices in Perth, Airnorth says it flies to 15 destinations in Australia and East Timor, including Alice Springs, Broome, Cairns, Darwin, Kununurra, Perth, and Townsville.
The airline uses a fleet of five E190 and three E170 jets, as well as five EMB-120ER Brasilia turboprops.
“Airnorth specialises in connecting people to unique and often hard-to-reach destinations across Australia,” it says.
“The airline proudly supports regional economies and tourism by offering safe and reliable air services, including scheduled passenger flights, flight charters, ad-hoc charters, and freight services.”
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says:The Townsville / Toowoomba service is sorley missed by residents of both cities. This was a great service, well patronised, and saved having to brave the crazy Brisbane traffic in order to reach the business centres of the Darling Downs.
For me personally, the service saved the long fifteen plus hour drive in both directions.