Primed for takeoff

WITH mining operations gearing up across Cape York, QantasLink has boosted its services between Cairns and Weipa this month.

The airline extended its services to one additional passenger flight from Cairns to Weipa on Tuesday mornings each week and from Weipa to Cairns on Wednesday afternoons.

The flights are operated by a 74-seat Q400 turboprop aircraft and are available for booking up to October 24, a Qantas spokeswoman said.

The increase in flights is largely believed to be in response to the demand of sev-

Other projects investigating silica mining in the region are also under way, including a joint project between Diatreme Resources and Hope Vale Congress Aboriginal Corporation.

Weipa Town Authority has also endorsed the flights, spreading the word on their Facebook page this week.

Connectivity with Cairns is also growing internationally with China Southern Airlines announcing last month it would increase direct flights by four from the Asian giant between mid-December and February.

The airline’s Cairns general manager Kevin Xu said the airline would run the expanded route between Guangzhou and Cairns from mid-December until February 2019 to allow more tourists to visit during the peak Chinese New Year season.

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