Article: An Overview of Australia’s Independent Regional Airlines

[AFF Editor]

An Overview of Australia’s Independent Regional Airlines is an article written by the AFF editorial team:

An Overview of Australia's Independent Regional Airlines

Aside from QantasLink and VARA, there are 15 independent regional airlines operating scheduled passenger services to regional and remote destinations across Australia.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

You can leave a comment or discuss this topic below.

 

[jpp42]

I note that Seair in Queensland is not on this list - are their LYT services from HVB, YRED*, and OOL not considered here for some reason? There is a timetable published by Lade Eliot Island resort, but not on seair's own web site... I guess you could argue these are "scheduled charter?" Since CASA no longer distinguishes between RPT and charter for regulatory purposes (it's all Part 135 if the plane has 10 seats or more), I get that it's a grey area.

Once on this list would have been Sydney Seaplanes. For a while around 2016 (?), they operated regularly scheduled flights from Rose Bay, Sydney to the Hunter River, Newcastle with their C208 Caravan. They are trying to revive RPT flights , this time to Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, but all has gone quiet on that front recently...

\* Wikipedia lists no IATA code for Redcliffe.

 

[Warks]

In the Virgin Lounge in Sydney I saw a flight to Cobar on the departures board - I can't recall the airline - possibly Pelican?

This article made me think of a few long lost regional airlines I flew on. Brindabella (I think it was owned by Qantas though?) SYD-Moree. Oxley Airlines used to fly out of Gunnedah and Tamworth - and I think maybe even Wee Waa. And wasn't there a Tamworth based airline with a name like Tamair or something?

 

[jpp42]

This article made me think of a few long lost regional airlines I flew on. Brindabella (I think it was owned by Qantas though?) SYD-Moree.

No, Brindabella did have a codeshare agreement with QF, but not any ownership interest. They failed in 2013 after a disastrous merger with Aeropelican, taking both airlines down (Aeropelican had been around since 1968.). The current Newcastle-based airline FlyPelican, mentioned in the article, was phoenix'd from Aeropelican's ashes and does cover some similar NSW locales such as Narrabri, Cobar, Mudgee, etc, with the venerable Jetstream 32.

 

[Warks]

No, Brindabella did have a codeshare agreement with QF, but not any ownership interest. They failed in 2013 after a disastrous merger with Aeropelican, taking both airlines down (Aeropelican had been around since 1968.). The current Newcastle-based airline FlyPelican, mentioned in the article, was phoenix'd from Aeropelican's ashes and does cover some similar NSW locales such as Narrabri, Cobar, Mudgee, etc, with the venerable Jetstream 32.

Ah it makes sense. I think we booked through QF. Qantas(link) used to do a triangular flight between SYD, Moree and Narrabri when I worked up that way.
Aeropelican, there's a name. Did they fly out of Belmont or Williamstown?

 

[servicerequired]

Ah it makes sense. I think we booked through QF. Qantas(link) used to do a triangular flight between SYD, Moree and Narrabri when I worked up that way.
Aeropelican, there's a name. Did they fly out of Belmont or Williamstown?

Aeropelican was a former AN subsidiary I believe (??)

 

[SYD]

Aeropelican, there's a name. Did they fly out of Belmont or Williamstown?

Yes, Aeropelican started life flying out of Belmont and later moved to Newcastle airport.

Other past regional airline was East-West before it was rolled into Ansett.

Kendall and Hazelton that merged after the collapse of AN to become Rex.

Happy to be corrected on some that!

 

[Mattg]

I do wonder what the long term future holds for some of these smaller regional operators that use aircraft types that are no longer being built, and don't really have like-for-like replacements. I'm thinking of airlines using (for example) the Saab 340, Metroliners or BAe Jetstream turboprops. Eventually there won't be enough serviceable planes in these categories to go around.

 

[jpp42]

Well, Rex is hoarding SAAB 340's for parts and has reportedly at least a dozen out of service to help keep the others going. This might keep them going for another decade or so.

As long as the engines can be rebuilt or replaced, the airframes can probably keep going indefinitely, assuming no fatigue crack type issues ever arise. After all, there are DHC Beavers and the like still flying after 60-70 years with continued renewal. Whether the economics stack up to do this for regular public transport, I'm not sure - I don't know the details of whether the SAAB's and Jetstreams etc can be rebuilt similarly.

Also, the ATR-42 is still in production and certainly a viable replacement for e.g. Rex's busier routes. I do agree there's no clear answer for the 20-35 seat market. In the unpressurised 19-seat market, the DHC-6 Twin Otter and Dornier 228 are still manufactured, but not sure how likely those are to be used in RPT.