The message came from Tamworth mayor James Treloar, Armidale's deputy mayor Peter Ducat and Philip Laffer, the airline's general manager.

Mr Laffer and senior personnel from the company, Member for Tamworth Peter Draper and business and civic leaders from Tamworth and Armidale were present at the launch of the new service shortly before 2pm.

Cr Treloar said when Tamworth lost its link with Brisbane on January 5 this year, following the decision by the Brisbane-based Macair not to continue to service the route, it was bleak news for Tamworth and other parts of the region.

"It seriously inconvenienced us. However, the good news is that many Tamworth district people now realise that Brisbane offers a lot, especially when it comes to flying on to other countries," Cr Treloar said.

Brisbane also had an increasingly serious business link with the north-west.

"We hope it will be a long-term arrangement, but the importance of the business community especially supporting it cannot be overstated," he said.

Cr Ducat said Sunshine Express offered the Armidale region a chance to establish a permanent link with Brisbane and said his council and the local business community would do its best to ensure the success of the venture.

Mr Laffer said his company was only five years old but had a unique culture and had survived some of the most difficult periods in the history of Australian aviation.

The company employed a staff of 30 and all were multi-skilled and experienced in a lot of fields. Mr Laffer is a trained pilot and his company was also involved in aircraft sales, leasing and maintenance and had a close connection with Qantas and Singapore Airlines. However, while bookings could be made via Qantas, he suggested it would be to the customers' advantage to book their seats via local travel agents.