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The WA government has not ruled in or out the idea of regulating the Broome–Kununurra–Darwin route after the exit of Nexus Airlines.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the government is “disappointed” that Nexus is not continuing on the route, which will be left to Airnorth only, but “is committed to ensuring the Kimberley remains connected and accessible”.
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“We’re proud to continue to drive out-of-state visitors to regional WA through our partnership with Nexus Airlines on discount airfares from Geraldton, Port Hedland and Karratha into Broome and we remain committed to working with them,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re also investing significantly through our landmark Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme, which is making air travel more affordable and accessible than ever before for regional residents.
“We will continue to work with all our airline partners and the tourism industry to minimise impact for visitors and ensure the region remains an accessible travel option.
“Just recently, we supported the Kimberley tourism sector through our Broome Season Pass which offers discounts to support local tourism operators and drive bookings to the region. We will continually look for new ways to support regional tourism going forward.”
Nexus, which launched in 2023, announced earlier this month that it would suspend its Kimberley services in the face of aggressive competition from rival Airnorth, which it said made the northern route “financially unsustainable”.
“This is not a decision that we wanted to make, but given the increased capacity and aggressive pricing from our US owned competitor, it was necessary to suspend services on the Kimberley route and focus on further growth and expansion across the rest of the Nexus Airlines network,” managing director Michael McConachy said in a statement.
“The Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley have publicly advised that they have contacted the State Government to seek consideration of the regulation for the Kimberley route. The Shire recognises the importance of reliable and cost-effective air services in supporting regional liveability, tourism growth and economic development.
“Regulation of a regional air route ensures that regional communities are provided with sufficient capacity at a reasonable price and within agreed levels of reliability. It is not about supporting any one particular airline.”
The move to suspend Kimberley services will not affect the rest of Nexus’ network, including Perth, Geraldton, Karratha and Port Hedland. Passengers on the northern routes will be given full refunds for the suspended flights.
