The first flight from Alliance Airlines has taken off from Canberra Airport today, 23 October, as 100 passengers jet set to either the Sunshine Coast, or onto Cairns.
The double destination service will operate twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, on Alliance’s 100-seat Fokker 100 jet.
Canberra Airport head of aviation, Michael Thomson, said the flights had come just in time, following the Queensland border re-opening to ACT residents on 25 September.
“The flights are perfectly timed as Canberra tourism and business are ready to welcome back travellers to the Capital and Canberrans are ready to get away,” he said.
“Everyone wants a holiday this time of year and with Christmas and school holidays coming up and the flight schedule designed to also allow for luxurious long weekends, flights are filling up fast.
“Not only is this service important for leisure travel, we know that there is a sizable business community that travel between the Sunshine Coast and Canberra. We are pleased to be playing our part in getting people back to business.”
The flights were first announced late last month, for a first-time partnership between Canberra Airport and Alliance Airlines.
The flights depart from Canberra to Sunshine Coast Airport (formerly Maroochydore Airport) and the same aircraft continues onto Cairns.
Alliance Airlines CEO Lee Schofield said he was pleased to form the partnership, which would be mutually beneficial to the three regions.
“We look forward to welcoming many residents of Canberra onto our new services, as well as residents of the Sunshine Coast and Far North Queensland heading to the Nation’s Capital,” he said.
“This new service will increase tourism, business and government links between these important and growing regions.”
Alliance Airlines are offering sale fares for the commencement of flights, starting from $149 one way between Canberra and the Sunshine Coast, and $249 between Canberra and Cairns.
