From 12:15pm today, people of the Hunter and northern NSW will have access to more seats and the option of a two-class aircraft when Qantas begin flying their Boeing 717 on the airline’s popular route between Newcastle Airport and Brisbane.
Prior to today, Qantas have been flying a Dash 8 Q400 aircraft which holds approximately 75 passengers. The Boeing 717 has a capacity of 110 seats, 12 of which are business class and will fly the trip to the northern Capital in 15 min less time than the smaller aircraft.
Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock says the aircraft upgrade is a credit to the people of the region who have always strongly supported air travel to Brisbane.
“As Northern NSW’s primary gateway to QLD we are seeing passenger demand driving an increase in flight frequency and capacity into South East Queensland, he said.
“This is a great result for our region, who have clearly shown a very strong propensity to fly since the borders opened.’
“We welcome Qantas’ decision to operate the 717 aircraft and look forward to further expansion of services on all our routes.”
QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the additional seats would support the growing demand for travel between Newcastle and Brisbane.
“We’re pleased to help carry more travellers between Newcastle and Brisbane onboard our larger Boeing 717 aircraft,” said Mr Gissing.
“Qantas is now close to offering the same number of seats on this route as we did before COVID-19, which is fantastic for businesses in the region.
“This also reinforces what we know about the significant pent-up demand for domestic travel as border restrictions ease around the country.”
Flights will operate double daily with a mix of 717 and Q400 aircraft.
The first scheduled flight on Monday is due to land at 12:15pm before departing on its return journey to Brisbane at 1:15pm.
Flights will then be daily, in the afternoon, building to twice daily as demand increases.
KEY FACTS
Start Date: Monday, 30 November.
Flight Time: Arrive Newcastle 12:15pm and Depart Newcastle at 13:15pm
Frequency: Initially daily on the afternoon service then building as demand increases
Bookings: qantas.com or through on-line and shop front travel agents.