Flying kangaroo seeks new routes

QantasLink will assess the viability of new routes to-and-from Geraldton after the return of the famous logo to our skies.

The first rebranded Fokker F100 aircraft landed in Geraldton on Wednesday morning, after the airline began repainting Network Aviation’s entire fleet of F100s with the QantasLink tail last month.

Qantas purchased Network Aviation in 2011. The airline has been operating 11 return services a week between Geraldton and Perth using a fleet of 14 aircraft.

QantasLink’s head of F100 services in WA, Hugh Davin, said the airline had received overwhelming support from the community since commencing flying to Geraldton in 2011.

He said any suggestions put forward by the community for improvements or expansion to the current service would be assessed for viability.

“If it’ll work, we’ll do it,” he said.

Mr Davin said Geraldton was chosen as the destination for the first flight of the rebranded aircraft because of its importance to the Qantas network.

“As one of the largest regional Western Australian cities and an important destination for tourism, mining and local industry, we know how important reliable air services are to the people of Geraldton,” he said.

He said the rebranding of the F100 fleet reflected the strong brand recognition QantasLink had in the WA market.

City of Greater Geraldton mayor Ian Carpenter said Qantas’ recommitment to Geraldton was good news for the community.

“The support of Qantas has had a big and very positive impact on our local economy including tourism,” he said.

Mr Carpenter officially opened Geraldton Airport’s new $2.23 million departure lounge on August 10.

The project was financed by the City of Greater Geraldton using revenue generated by the airport’s operations.