On April 1 Jetstar plans to add four extra flights from Melbourne per
week to their schedule and Virgin Australia have followed with the announcement
that they will be adding six extra flights from Brisbane per week to their own
schedule.
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Ten extra domestic flights per week have the potential to add up to
100,000 visitors to Cairns each year. It is important to understand what this
number of added arrivals means to the region - the graph opposite shows the
number of tourism arrivals in Cairns throughout the past 10 years.
The trend level for domestic tourism arrivals in Cairns currently sits
at approximately 260,000 visitors per year. That means that the new flights
planned by major airlines within the past week have the potential to increase this
number by more than almost 140%.
International arrivals remain on an unpredictable trend caused by
unstable global economic conditions and the high Australian dollar making Cairns
and Far North Queensland an expensive destination. Any improvement in tourist
numbers however, either domestic or international, will be welcomed by local
businesses in particular hospitality, accommodation and tour service operators.
Cairns Post report of Jetstars additional flights on Jan 24:
Jetstar adds extra Cairns to
Melbourne flights
LOW-cost carrier Jetstar has added four more flights a week from
Melbourne with the potential to bring an extra 37,440 passengers a year into
Cairns.
The airline said with the extra four A320 flights a week there would
now be 25 services from Melbourne.
The new flights are due to start on April 1.
The route is one of the fastest growing in Australia.
Last year, Jetstar passengers spent an estimated $112 million in the
Far North.
The increased flights come as Jetstar bases its 13th A320 aircraft in
Victoria.
Jetstar Group chief executive officer Bruce Buchanan said the
additional capacity was part of the airline’s commitment to affordable domestic
and overseas travel.
Report of Virgin Australia’s additional flights on Jan 27:
Extra Cairns flights, potential
for extra 100,000 visitors
VIRGIN Australia is adding six extra flights between Cairns and
Brisbane each week with the potential to bring more than 56,000 additional
travellers a year to the Far North.
It follows Jetstar’s decision earlier this week to increase its
services from Melbourne by four weekly flights.
The additional flights by the two airlines add nearly 100,000 seats a
year from the southern capitals.
The extra Virgin return flights, from February 13, will be every day
except Saturday, arriving at 1.20pm and departing for Brisbane at 1.50pm.
It takes the total number of Virgin Australia flights between Brisbane
and Cairns each week to 80. The route is the 10th busiest in Australia with
nearly 100,000 passengers a year.
Virgin says demand has sparked the extra flights.
Virgin Australia alliances, network and yield group executive Merren
McArthur said the additional flights were part of an accelerated capacity
growth plan for major corporate, resources sector and leisure routes.
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