Post by corsair67 on Jul 26, 2007 10:54:00 GMT 12
Wasn't Ewan Wilson the guy who lead Kiwi International down the gurgler?
Norfolk Air offers $1 commute
Steve Creedy | July 26, 2007
NORFOLK Island's small carrier is taking advantage of a problem with the range of its aircraft to take a tilt at the big boys and offer $1 one-way fares on the busy Sydney-Melbourne route.
The cheap tickets, which include taxes, will be available each Friday from October 19 on Sydney-Melbourne flights.
The fares are designed to fill empty seats and draw attention to the holiday destination, coinciding with the start of direct flights from Melbourne to Norfolk Island.
The airline's older 737 can make the distance to the island from Melbourne, but it cannot get all the way back and has to stop over in Sydney.
Norfolk Air general manager Ewan Wilson said the airline was determined to use every means at its disposal to promote the tiny Pacific outpost.
He was happy to make the seats available at a nominal fee on the busiest day of the week, he said.
"Sydney-Melbourne is the main game in Australia, yet we're seeing Qantas and Virgin Blue just throwing feathers at each other and we still don't know if Tiger Airways is going to chance its hand on the route," he said.
Norfolk Island's fortunes have improved since it teamed with charter operator Ozjet two years ago to provide regular flights.
Ozjet wet-leases its aircraft -- provides both plane and crew -- to Norfolk Air.
"When we set up in partnership with the Norfolk Island government to provide regular flights to the island, Australia numbers were down and the economy was haemorrhaging," Mr Wilson said.
"Since then, we've increased capacity out of Sydney and Brisbane, successfully launched a direct service to Newcastle, visitor numbers have risen by 22 per cent for the financial year just ended."
Norfolk Air offers $1 commute
Steve Creedy | July 26, 2007
NORFOLK Island's small carrier is taking advantage of a problem with the range of its aircraft to take a tilt at the big boys and offer $1 one-way fares on the busy Sydney-Melbourne route.
The cheap tickets, which include taxes, will be available each Friday from October 19 on Sydney-Melbourne flights.
The fares are designed to fill empty seats and draw attention to the holiday destination, coinciding with the start of direct flights from Melbourne to Norfolk Island.
The airline's older 737 can make the distance to the island from Melbourne, but it cannot get all the way back and has to stop over in Sydney.
Norfolk Air general manager Ewan Wilson said the airline was determined to use every means at its disposal to promote the tiny Pacific outpost.
He was happy to make the seats available at a nominal fee on the busiest day of the week, he said.
"Sydney-Melbourne is the main game in Australia, yet we're seeing Qantas and Virgin Blue just throwing feathers at each other and we still don't know if Tiger Airways is going to chance its hand on the route," he said.
Norfolk Island's fortunes have improved since it teamed with charter operator Ozjet two years ago to provide regular flights.
Ozjet wet-leases its aircraft -- provides both plane and crew -- to Norfolk Air.
"When we set up in partnership with the Norfolk Island government to provide regular flights to the island, Australia numbers were down and the economy was haemorrhaging," Mr Wilson said.
"Since then, we've increased capacity out of Sydney and Brisbane, successfully launched a direct service to Newcastle, visitor numbers have risen by 22 per cent for the financial year just ended."
