Northern Territory-based carrier Airnorth will begin direct flights between Alice Springs and Cairns, targeting tourists and fly-in fly-out workers.
Flights will start on 14 April, and will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. These will be the only direct flights between Cairns and Alice Springs offered by any airline.
“We are thrilled to expand our network with the addition of the Cairns to Alice Springs service,” said Airnorth CEO Daniel Bowden. “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.”
“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,” said Airnorth.
Airnorth’s flights will use its Embraer E190 jets, which each seat 100 passengers.
The Cairns-Alice Springs route is expected to add 30,000 seats per year, according to the airline.
Airnorth will also add direct flights between Darwin and Lombok, Indonesia, beginning 5 May. This will be Australia's first ever flight route to Lombok.
Virgin Australia said last week that it would end flights between Darwin and Adelaide, though it aims to increase seat capacity through Darwin by 9% by adding new flights from Darwin to Brisbane and Melbourne.
Airnorth’s parent company is the Bristow Group. The Bristow Group’s share price (NYSE: VTOL) closed at US$33.75, up from a previous close at $33.37. Its market capitalisation is $966 billion.
