Flight sales now on as new Cairns services take off

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A Queensland-owned airline has added new services to its Cairns schedule, including flights to the Whitsunday Islands and Australia’s shortest domestic airline route at the tip of the country.

From September, Skytrans will fly five times per week from Cairns to Whitsunday Coast Airport and on to Rockhampton, while from today, it will operate return flights between Cairns, Horn Island and Bamaga five times a week.

The Bamaga to Horn Island route is the shortest in the country with a flying time of just ten minutes.

Fares for the Whitsunday route are on sale now for $149 one way, while the special fare to Horn Island is $199 one way.

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Skytrans Chief Executive Officer Alan Milne said Dash 9-100 aircraft with 36 seats will kickstart the new routes.

“The big winners will be locals who live in Cairns, the Whitsunday region and Rockhampton because they will have additional choice with Skytrans committed to delivering the best possible services for these local communities,” he said.

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Cairns Airport Chief Operating Officer Garry Porter said the expansion of services at a time when many parts of the aviation industry are at a standstill is testament to Skytrans' confidence.

“While we’ve seen a suspension of most services on our Sydney and Melbourne routes, the introduction of these new services speaks volumes of the determination of our airline partners, and their ability to adapt and look for opportunities,” he said.

“Cairns continues to be an important centre for both the outlying communities it serves as well as being the gateway to Tropical North Queensland and I congratulate Skytrans on the introduction of these services.”