Overview
- Link Airways will pause Shellharbour flights to Brisbane and Melbourne from May 20, leaving the Illawarra airport without regular passenger service.
- The airline says jet fuel now costs nearly double pre–Middle East conflict levels, and the routes were losing tens of thousands of dollars each day.
- Demand from the local market has been weak and price sensitive, and many residents were unaware they could fly to major cities from Shellharbour.
- All affected customers will receive full refunds, and the carrier says a return is unlikely through winter unless fuel costs fall and demand improves.
- Link will keep flying other regional routes, including a new Canberra–Launceston service launched this week, and it has criticized the lack of direct aid compared with recent federal support for Rex.