A SCONE-BASED carrier is the latest contender circling the long-vacant Narrabri to Sydney air service.
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Northwest Airlines – a subsidiary of the charter, freight and pilot-training company Airspeed Aviation – has an interest in the route.
The company’s managing director, Ben Wyndham, met with Narrabri mayor Conrad Bolton in January and presented to the Narrabri Chamber of Commerce.
He told The Leader he was considering making an application to Transport for NSW when expressions of interest in the route opened sometime after the election.
“The focus of what we want to do is around creating jobs and investment in Narrabri – I want them to feel like they own it,” he said.
“We’re based in Scone and I’m a firm believer in supporting regional communities and local businesses.”
Brisbane-based airline JetGo, which earlier this month commenced flights between Tamworth and Brisbane, is also eyeing off the Narrabri-Sydney service.
The government-regulated route has been vacant since Vincent Aviation went into receivership in May last year.
Airspeed Aviation has run charter services into Narrabri for years and, during the construction of Whitehaven Coal’s underground mine, was carrying 160 workers a week.
Mr Wyndham said the “biggest hurdle” for any airline wishing to make a go of the service was securing landing slots into Sydney airport at times attractive to passengers.
“All those slots Vincent and Aeropelican and Brindabella were using have been soaked up by the big operators – Rex, QantasLink and Virgin Australia Regional – so small towns like Narrabri are going to suffer,” he said.
“If there are no suitable slots available, we’re not going to provide a service that’s of no use to anyone and go broke doing it.”
Mr Wyndham said he believed the route was best served with 19-seat planes – at least initially – rather than the 34-seat aircraft Vincent Aviation flew.
