Thousands of new airline seats announced for Queensland

Significant boost to airline services in Queensland announced by QantasLink

Getting around in Queensland in Australia will be easier with the announcement of a significant boost to airline services throughout the state by QantasLink, the country’s largest regional airline.

It will launch Boeing 717 services to Rockhampton and Gladstone on 15 March and Mackay on 26 March 2012 following the addition of the B717 aircraft into its fleet.

QantasLink executive manager Narendra Kumar said that the introduction of QantasLink’s two new B717 aircraft in Queensland will deliver an increase of over 200,000 seats per year in the region.

‘QantasLink’s new 115 seat B717 services will offer customers faster flight times and more seats at peak times by complementing existing aircraft on these routes,’ he added.

By the middle of 2012 the QantasLink B717 services will result in 1,674 additional seats per week to Gladstone which will see QantasLink provide more than 9,100 seats per week on the route and 806 additional seats on QantasLink services increasing seats offered by the Qantas Group between Brisbane and Mackay to 13,884 per week which will be operated by both Jetstar and QantasLink. There will also be 598 additional seats to Rockhampton, offering over 8,400 seats per week.

QantasLink has also announced it will introduce new Q300 and Q400 aircraft services across several key Queensland destinations including increased flights to Emerald from 76 to 84 flights per week resulting in an additional 592 seats.

Roma will have an additional two flights per week which will offer QantasLink customers 244 extra seats and four extra flights will operate to Bundaberg creating 200 more seats.

QantasLink also recently added new services and upgraded capacity between Cairns and Weipa taking the number of services per week to 34 and upgraded two Wednesday services between Cairns and Horn Island and Townsville and Cloncurry/Mt Isa to a Q400 74 seat aircraft. A twice weekly service has also been added on the Townsville and Moranbah route.

QantasLink customers can book tickets on these new services from today.

QantasLink operates a network of 56 metropolitan and country destinations across all states and territories as well as to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

It has significantly invested in the aircraft it operates with its current fleet of 57 aircraft set to grow to 62 over the next 12 months. The airline’s fleet includes five Bombardier Q200, 16 Q300, 25 Q400 and 11 Boeing 717 aircraft.

QantasLink is also overseeing the operation of the Qantas Group’s Western Australian based resources charter airline Network Aviation. Its fleet of nine aircraft is set to grow further, with the addition of 10 Fokker F100s this year.

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