The cost of airfares to Brisbane may skyrocket unless the Palaszczuk government steps in to save Virgin flights at Bundaberg’s airport, Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett has warned.

Mr Bennett said the future of Virgin flights to the region was uncertain after the company announced it would end its Brisbane-based ATR turboprop operations which services regional areas including Bundaberg.

The MP said he feared the region will be left with a sole airline operating from the Bundaberg Airport, significantly impacting on the cost of flights, local tourism and business economy.

“What we don’t want to see is our community being left at the mercy of one airline operator which has absolutely no competition and could whack residents with excessive prices, making flights unaffordable for most people,” Mr Bennett said.

“Prior to Virgin flights commencing to Bundaberg, standard prices for one way flights from Bundaberg to Brisbane were through the roof and simply out of reach for most people.

“The cost of a one way flight to Brisbane was considerably reduced to less than $150 – a substantial saving for residents who were forced to pay more than $600 when there was no competition.

“Competition works!”

Mr Bennett said many locals who required specialist medical services relied heavily on air travel to access those services in Brisbane.

“Air travel is a quick and convenient form of travel for patients who need to get to Brisbane to access specialist medical resources, but if those airfares skyrocket it would simply be unattainable for most people.”

Mr Bennett called on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to intervene and assist in securing a commitment from Virgin Australia or other operators to continue to service the Bundaberg Airport.

“The Premier must show leadership and save our regional airports, which are vital to our economy.”

ENDS.

Friday, May 5, 2017