Flights to Sunshine Coast on the cards

SUNSHINE Coast Airport’s ambitions to carve out direct flight links to Asia and other destinations are well-known, but another route could be set to open up.

High-profile Toowoomba businessman Denis Wagner, non-executive chairman of ASX-listed, family-run construction materials company Wagners, has revealed he would consider creating a direct flight route between the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.

Wagners undertook construction of the Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and Wellcamp Business Park in 2013, the first greenfield public airport built since Melbourne’s Tullamarine nearly 50 years ago.

It was understood preliminary discussions had been held between Mr Wagner and Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie, with a view to creating flights between Sunshine Coast Airport and Wellcamp in future.

The timing was not right at present, with the effects of coronavirus decimating the airline travel industry, but Mr Wagner confirmed it was something he was keeping in mind.

“It’s certainly something we would consider in the future,” Mr Wagner said.

Sunshine Coast Airport head of corporate relations Ayllie White said the airport was “working to broaden its network of destinations, to provide better connectivity for passengers and freight into and from the region”.

“As part of developing new routes, we work closely with airlines and other airport partners to understand travel demand and commercial viability,” Ms White said.

It comes after Alliance Airlines recently started its new Sunshine Coast-Cairns service, with three return flights a week established in the state’s far north.

Airnorth recently resumed some of its services to and from Wellcamp Airport.