Labor to work with SA for low-cost flights between Adelaide and Canberra

A re-elected ACT Labor government says it will work with the SA Government to convince low-cost carrier Jetstar to launch direct flights between Canberra and Adelaide.

Qantas and Virgin already run three flights a day to Adelaide but Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the option of cheaper fares would boost the tourism travel between the two cities.

Mr Barr said South Australians made up about seven per cent of Australia’s population, but only two per cent contributed to Canberra’s tourism visitation figures.

He said flying was the most feasible way of getting more South Australians to visit Canberra.

“It’s a relatively short flight between Canberra and Adelaide … the drive is very long,” he said.

“So we think a focus on aviation is the best way to increase two-way tourism between the ACT and South Australia, but particularly between Canberra and Adelaide.”

Mr Barr said he and SA Premier Peter Malinauskas would be looking at a service operating at least several times a week.

Asked about price, Mr Barr said Jetstar was aggressive in its pricing and often had $100 fares and sales that offered tickets as low as $69 and $99 between major cities.

“We do recognise that low-cost carriers particularly drive a segment of the market that we wouldn’t otherwise get,” he said.

Mr Barr said his government had already had conversations with Jetstar about three possible routes, including Adelaide.

He said Labor was not proposing to provide cash incentives for Jetstar to start the Adelaide run but would focus on marketing.

“These things work best if they are supported by both tourism marketing bodies,” he said.

“We’re not in the business of underwriting the flights, but we are in the business of supporting their establishment, and marketing in partnership with the other city.

“We will commit to a multi-year marketing package with the airline.”

The cost would come out of Labor’s $50 million 2030 Tourism Growth Fund.

Mr Malinauskas said establishing a low-cost carrier between the two cities would enable more families to make the journey.

“Every family should have an opportunity to be able to travel to the nation’s capital, but also for Canberrans to enjoy everything that South Australia has to offer,” he said.

“Let’s get a low-cost carrier up and running so that more families can travel and enjoy everything that Canberra and South Australia have to offer.”

Canberra Airport Head of Aviation Michael Thomson said the Adelaide route was certainly sustainable and Jetstar was well established in Canberra.

“The more services they provide to Canberrans, the better opportunities for people to travel and people to come into the region,” he said.

“Certainly with the services to Gold Coast to Brisbane and to Melbourne, just having that other opportunity has meant more people are travelling both in and out. So there are big benefits to Canberra and the region as well from having low-cost carriers bring people in.”

Mr Barr said the move from Qatar Airways to take a 25 per cent stake in Virgin could also have benefits for Canberra if approved.

He said a key element of the approvals process was asking about the benefit to the Australian aviation market.

“Qatar under the bilateral arrangement has the capacity to fly to a secondary airport tagged to one of the big four,” he said.

“The regulatory approvals should look at the opportunities for Canberra to be included as part of an expanded service.”

Mr Thomson said the airport was also hopeful a link to Doha would again be available from Canberra in some form.

He said Virgin would have parallel rights for 28 flights a week into Doha out of major airports plus one regional [airport] seven times a week.

“So that regional one would provide potentially another opportunity for us,” Mr Thomson said.

“We’re working very hard on getting them [Qatar] to come back on their own.”