QantasLink applies for Cairns-Port Moresby Route

[Jarden S]

QantasLink applies for Cairns-Port Moresby Route

From the australian aviation on March 12 2010

Qantas has lodged an application with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) seeking an allocation for QantasLink to operate services from Cairns to Port Moresby from July 2010.

The brief application notes that the airline seeks an allocation of 888 seats per week to operate 12 weekly services on the route using the 74-seat Bombardier Q400. Qantas has requested the allocation for five years, with the capacity to be fully utilised by December 31.

If the services are approved, it would put Qantas in competition with Air Niugini and Airlines of PNG between Cairns and Port Moresby. Qantas currently codeshares on the Air Niugini services, and it has not indicated if it plans to continue this arrangement once it services start

If this starts it will be the first international route for QantasLink. Can the market sustain an extra 12 weekly services as at the moment we have a least 3 daily flights CNS to POM 2 Air Niugini and 1 Airlines PNG when QF start it will go to 5 a day on most days. Competition will see a downward pressure on fares I expect.

[David Knudsen]

How's the belly freight capacity on a Q400? Freight is always very tight getting from CNS-POM (even BNE-POM), it wouldn't be unusual for some orders of ours to sit on the ground in CNS for a few days waiting for space in a hold - the extra services are great news and will hopefully reduce freight prices too.

[Max C]

No 'belly' as such, but the forward baggage compartment can carry 413kg, in addition to the 1724kg in the rear compartment.

Depending on weather requirements, there should be room for some freight with 74 pax onboard.

[Ian Garton]

I suspect that Qlink is eyeing off the potential increase in fly-in fly-out traffic when the LNG project gets in to full swing.

[Anthony T]

If this starts it will be the first international route for QantasLink.

Didn't Qantaslink operate Darwin-Dili for a shortwhile after independence, before Air North took it over?

Anthony T

[Ash W]

Anthony, yep they did.

[Gareth U]

It was ops by NJS. Flight numbers in the QF200 range from memory. It was short-lived. Airnorth were operating Darwin-Dili flights at that time also.

[Jarden S]

Qantas gets
PNG approval

Qantas has been granted
permission by the
International Air Services
Commission to operate an
additional 888 seats per week
on the Papua New Guinea
route.
The airline plans to operate
12 weekly Bombardier Dash
8-Q400 services between
Cairns and Port Moresby from
July (Travel Today, March
12) seating a maximum of 74
passengers each f light.
The determination is valid
for five years and Qantas is
required to use the capacity
by December 31. The carrier
currently has 1000 seats
a week allocated to it in a
codeshare agreement with Air
Niugini.