Canberra Airport 'certainly interested' in Jetstar flying from capital to Sydney

Flights between Canberra and Sydney have consistently had some of the worst cancellation rates in the country, with recent government statistics indicating a downturn in passengers flying between the cities.

Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said Canberra to Sydney would be well-suited to a low-cost airline such as Jetstar, and this could encourage more travellers to fly the route.

"It's the largest route that doesn't have a low-cost carrier on it in the Australian market," Mr Byron said.

"It is a route that would well suit a Jetstar operation."

Mr Byron compared the Canberra to Sydney route with similar shorter flights operated by Jetstar across the ditch in New Zealand.

"I think the opportunity is there to provide a low-cost airline service between Canberra and Sydney," he said.

"And I think it would see hundreds of thousands of passengers attracted to it."

Cancellations for Canberra to Sydney flights hit 4.8 per cent in November, well above the national cancellation average of 1.4 per cent of all flights.

Mr Byron said the pattern of cancellations was "unacceptably high".

"We are concerned that the pattern of cancellation rates on the Canberra to Sydney route seems to now be showing up as customers choosing to use other modes of transport," he said.

"Whether they are choosing to drive or use the bus, it's hard to imagine people would find the roads in Sydney more reliable than the airlines."

Statistics from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development showed the number of passengers on Canberra to Sydney flights dropped 2.3 per cent between September 2016 and September 2017, with total passenger numbers falling from 84,600 to 82,600.

At the same time most other domestic routes had experienced an increase in passenger numbers, Mr Byron said.

Mr Byron has also called on the airlines already flying the route to offer bargain prices in order to regain customer confidence after the spate of cancellations.

"The other way that airlines could regain their trust with the public, that does seem to be moving away because of the cancellations, would be to reduce the cancellation rates and also to offer more discount air fares," he said.

Customers and Canberra Airport's owners have spoken out since flights between Canberra and Sydney topped the nation with an October cancellation rate of 8.1 per cent.

QantasLink chief operating officer Jenny Chamberlain has previously said improving the reliability of the airline's network had been given "the highest priority".

"Cancellations on the Canberra route improved significantly in November in comparison to the previous month," she said.

"We're seeing improvements as a result of the recent adjustments we've made to our network and schedule, and our teams remain focused on ensuring this trend continues."