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Australian Airlines said today it was ready to launch its first major
expansion, with the addition of two Boeing 767-300s to its fleet. With six
aircraft, the airline would:
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commence services to Bali from Sydney and Melbourne by the end of
July;
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introduce international services between Cairns and Sydney from the
middle of the year;
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increase services on some existing routes; and
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consider services to destinations such as Shanghai in China and Sabah in
Malaysia.
Australian Airlines Chief Executive Officer Denis Adams said the response
to the Australian Airlines concept since the carrier commenced flying in
October last year had been extremely positive.
"We are currently operating nearly 30 flights a week between Cairns and six
Asian destinations as well as connecting services for international
passengers between Cairns and the Gold Coast," Mr Adams said.
"Following recent discussions with Indonesian and Balinese government
representatives on ways in which the Qantas Group can assist the recovery
of Bali's tourism industry, we have decided that the time is right to add
Denpasar to our schedule, and fly from Sydney and Melbourne for the first
time.
"By the end of July, Australian Airlines will operate three services per
week from Sydney to Bali, and one service per week from Melbourne. We also
hope to further increase the number of services next year."
Australian Airlines expects to announce full details and Bali schedules by
the end of the month.
Mr Adams said Australian Airlines would also commence return services six
times a week between Cairns and Sydney from the middle of this year.
"These flights will enable us to offer seamless transits at Cairns
International Airport for our inbound passengers travelling from Asia and
Japan," he said.
"The services will be international flights, arriving and departing from
the International Terminals at Cairns and Sydney Airports."
Mr Adams said the airline was also in preliminary discussions with Sabah
authorities and was considering the commencement of services from Cairns
to Kota Kinabalu and then on to Singapore.
"Sabah is a beautiful, unspoiled destination in East Malaysia featuring
tropical rainforests and pristine beaches. Flights to Sabah and its capital
Kota Kinabalu are expected to significantly increase tourism between
Australia and East Malaysia," he said.
Australian Airlines is also considering the introduction of services
between Cairns and Shanghai from October this year. Qantas withdrew from
China in 2001. |
