Flights options between Canberra and Newcastle will increase next month, when Link Airways establishes a path between the cities.
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From November 20, Link will operate four return flights each week, with a plan to increase the service to 11 return flights each week in 2021.
For about $300, passengers can board one of the 34 seat planes from Canberra in the morning and return home that night.
The 60 minute flights will initially run on Mondays and Fridays, with more days offered from next year.
The initial schedule will operate at the following times:
- depart Canberra at 6.30am and 4pm, arriving Newcastle at 7.30am and 5pm.
- depart Newcastle at 8am and 5.30pm, arriving Canberra at 9am and 6.30pm.
Link Airways chief executive officer Andrew Mayor said discussions with existing clients around the introduction of flights between the two cities had been taking place for several years.
Mr Mayor said the Canberra company's research had identified a high demand for flights between the two cities and it would allow same-day travel for people working and living between them.
The service will be in addition to FlyPelican Airlines flights which currently operates between the cities daily.
Link Airways tickets for the November flights went on sale this week.
Last month, Link also announced a deal to start flights to Tasmania from early December.
It will offer four return flights a week to the Tasmanian capital on a 34-seater Saab 340B Plus aircraft.
Ticket prices start from $219 one way.
As border restrictions are being eased, new routes are opening up. Qantas has resumed flights from Canberra to Adelaide on four days a week. Virgin Australia is to resume to the South Australian capital on October 12.
Qantas has also taken over some routes to the Gold Coast which were previously flown by Virgin.
Recently, the airport started direct flights to Ballina as a gateway to Byron Bay and northern New South Wales. The service has now been extended until at least October 23.
The airline there is FlyPelican which describes itself as "your local NSW airline".
Another regional airline, Alliance Airlines based in Brisbane, will begin a twice-weekly service to the Sunshine Coast and Cairns from October 23, now that Queensland has opened its borders.
"There is probably a capacity to sustain four flights a week once it gets up," Canberra Airport's head of aviation Michael Thomson said.
More to come.
Alex Crowe
Alex covers science and environment issues, with a focus on local Canberra stories. alex.crowe@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Alex covers science and environment issues, with a focus on local Canberra stories. alex.crowe@austcommunitymedia.com.au
