Northern WA flights a ‘game-changer’ for Geraldton businesses as regional economies linked up by new airline

A new airline which will connect Geraldton to Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome and Perth has been praised by Mid West businesses who say it could radically change how the economies of the Mid West, Pilbara and Kimberley link together. On Wednesday it was revealed Nexus Airlines will operate a “milk run” route connecting Geraldton with the three northern WA towns from July 10, with a Geraldton-Perth route also on the way. Mid West business figures have said that being able to fly their workers directly to these locations, rather than transport them to Perth before flying, or driving the distance, will save a significant amount of time. Todd West, CEO of Glass Co WA and president of the Midwest Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the flights will open more opportunities for his and other Geraldton businesses. “I usually have to drive to these places to service my customers, because it’s just too long and too expensive to fly to and from Perth, which is an overnight scenario,” Mr West said. “For me to be able to fly direct, I’m going to be able to provide a far better service for my customers in the North West, and I’m one of many businesses that services the North West. “It will open the doors for other businesses to do more work in that region.” Peter Fleay, managing director of GBSC Yurra, said he thinks the new route will make Geraldton a more FIFO-friendly town. “We currently have a large workforce in Karratha, and a lot of them are FIFO from Geraldton,” Mr Fleay said. “Currently they’ve got to fly to Perth, then to Karratha, back to Perth and then fly to Geraldton, and personally I’ve found, due to not being able to get regular flights to Perth, it’s sometimes quicker for me to drive from Geraldton to Karratha. “I think it will attract workers who do work in the Pilbara, in the North West, to Geraldton.” Nexus has come about with a $4 million investment from the State Government, matched almost dollar-for-dollar by the various local governments which will benefit, including the City of Greater Geraldton. “This is a huge win for people in Geraldton and the Mid West and highlights the impact of our Government’s ongoing commitment to improve access to air travel in regional WA,” Geraldton MLA Lara Dalton said. “The launch of Nexus Airlines will not only improve the connectivity between the Mid West and the Pilbara region, but it will also provide a new service between Geraldton and Perth.” City of Greater Geraldton mayor Shane Van Styn has previously expressed frustrations with Qantas, the only airline currently flying from Geraldton to Perth, over its limited flight schedule, and said competition has been “a long time coming”. “We’ve had concerns about the level of competition experienced by Qantas in recent years, and as part of the northern network, we’re seeing competition return,” Mr Van Styn said.