Disruptions worst for Brisbane flights
TRAVELLERS flying between Townsville and Brisbane are most likely to be affected by cancellations, with new data revealing the city’s most reliable and on- time routes and airlines.
The popular route had the most cancellations of the city’s four main domestic services in 2017, with 81 cancellations for Townsville- Brisbane and 74 for Brisbane- Townsville.
The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ annual report shows QantasLink passengers were most affected, with the carrier accounting for 131 the total 254 cancellations.
QantasLink flights between Brisbane and Townsville were the most affected, with 155 cancellations alone.
The Bulletin reported on QantasLink’s cancellations of last year, with the airline blaming union action, maintenance issues and a large intake of pilots for ongoing issues.
In September, the Bulletin revealed Qantas had increased use of 110- seat Boeing 717 aircraft over larger 174- seat 737- 800s “to protect margin”.
A QantasLink spokeswoman said performance had improved after adjustments to their network and schedule.
“We understand how important a regular, reliable flight schedule is for our travellers,” she said.
“Our teams are focused on ensuring this trend contin- ues, with safety top priority.
“We’re also investing in our regional fleet with a major cabin upgrade to improve the overall experience for our customers travelling on our regional network.”
Airport chief operating officer Kevin Gill said he frequently engaged with airlines on problems but it was ultimately their responsibility to meet the needs of passengers.
“Townsville Airport has in place a number of measures to ensure airlines operate efficiently and works closely with its airline partners to meet always our on- time performance expectations,” he said.
The best- performing airline overall in and out of Townsville was Jetstar, with just 14 cancellations, while Tigerair has had none for its services between Townsville and Melbourne since November.
While worst for cancellations, QantasLink was the most reliable for on- time arrivals and departures, followed by Virgin Australia. Jetstar had the most delays. Townsville Airport was 10th in Australia for on- time departures, with 86 per cent of flights leaving on time.