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Jetgo headed to Melbourne Avalon

written by australianaviation.com.au | October 8, 2015

The Jetgo flight lands at Tamworth Airport. (Tamworth Airport)

Regional carrier Jetgo has confirmed it will be able to begin flights between Dubbo and Melbourne on October 27 after securing access to Avalon Airport.

Jetgo had planned to fly to Melbourne Tullamarine but said recently it was unable to get terminal space. Moves to operate into nearby Essendon Airport then hit a roadblock because of a lack of passenger screening facilities and regulatory hurdles from the Office of Transport Security.

However, Jetgo will be able to add Melbourne to its growing regular public transport (RPT) network thanks to Avalon Airport, which will accommodate the three times a week Jetgo service on a temporary basis while security facilities are set up at Essendon.

Jetgo managing director for airlines Paul Bredereck said there has been strong demand from the residents of Dubbo for a direct flight to Melbourne.

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“The people in Dubbo, we’ve had literally dozens and dozens of phone calls from them saying ‘we really don’t care which airport it is, we just want the service up and running’,” Bredereck said on Thursday.

“We’ve listened to the public and Avalon Airport has been great.

“Many people in the Dubbo community have told us that they still prefer a direct jet service to Melbourne in comparison to driving or a transit through Sydney. Avalon Airport offers less congestion and more convenient and cheaper parking.”

A bus service between Avalon and Melbourne would meet each Jetgo arrival and departure, much like it does every RPT flight at the airport located just outside Geelong and about 45 minutes from central Melbourne.

At the same time, Jetgo has also commenced ticket sales for two additional Dubbo-Brisbane flights a week, which will increase the frequency on the route to six times a week.

“We have been very impressed with the demand for the Dubbo to Brisbane services,” Bredereck said.

“We are confident there is similar demand for Dubbo to Melbourne services and this is a logical expansion of our services.”

Mayor of Dubbo Mathew Dickerson said he was pleased Dubbo would have a direct link to the Victorian capital.

“It has been no secret that the people of Dubbo wanted direct flights to Melbourne,” Cr Dickerson said in a statement.

“I congratulate Jetgo on listening to the community and taking steps to be in a position to deliver this service.”

Jetgo will operate the Dubbo-Avalon service as a morning departure from Dubbo on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, with the return flight leaving Avalon either 1130 (Tuesday/Thursday) or 1145 (Sunday) local time.

Currently, Jetstar is the only airline with scheduled regular public transport flights at Avalon Airport.

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Comments (17)

  • shankar

    says:

    Excellent choice Jetgo making decision to fly from Avalon airport
    And hope they will consider long term.

  • Bob

    says:

    So, Essendon will have security screening facilities in the near future..?

  • Raymond

    says:

    Congratulations Jetgo – all the best!

  • keigo namba

    says:

    Fly from Avalon airport is a better choice. It has cheaper landing fees than other airport.
    With easy travelling on freeway and 40 minutes free carpark, its a excellent decisions for jetgo managements.

  • Phil Hoffin

    says:

    I use Avalon from Sydney often and it’s much easier. Hope it’s successful.

  • Elaine

    says:

    Why do they have to create screening at essendon ? They should stay at avalon where all facilities are already there .

  • Raymond

    says:

    Elaine – maybe because they would prefer to use Essendon, in Melbourne and close to the city, rather than Geelong.

  • Hans Geerdink

    says:

    Go for it Jetgo! Our family is looking forward to flying with you in the not to distant future.

    Any chance of pensioners discounts?…

  • Helmut

    says:

    I don’t believe, it will have the numbers to make it economic. A daily Dash 8 Q400 competing on a through service between Brisbane and Melbourne (Tullamarine) via Dubbo would run rings around this service on my calculations. Even Rex’s SAAB 340s would be more economic to operate.

  • John

    says:

    seems strange that Australian Air Holidays use their own security at Essendon for their charter flights(hand wands for metal detection), which are in aircraft all over 20 tonnes., but Jetgo aren’t allowed. Something very dodgy going on here.

  • Bob

    says:

    John, the regulations are different for charter flights and different for scheduled (RPT) flights. In my opinion security issues should count fall operations (Charter or RPT) the same but they do not. The root of the problem is with the regulations and they clearly need updating. This is not only in regards to security screening but also the Airports Act needs a lot of changes. But yes, there could also be something dodgy involved which is very normal in Australian culture.

  • Russell M

    says:

    John – I don’t know for sure – but I wonder if there’s a difference here between Charter and RPT ? There was a Fokker 70 operating from Essendon on charter too for a while as well. Probably one of those silly sets of rules where a 40 seat aircraft full of passengers has to go through different processes depending on what type of service it is, even though it may be the exact same set of 40 pax and 4 crew who get on, through the same door at the terminal, with the same baggage, etc etc.

    Unfortunately aviation is full of silly rules. On the last weekend I flew a 2 seat aircraft that looked like a Cessna 150 from a strip near Geelong. All legal and fun. I can’t fly that exact same aircraft in or out of Moorabbin unless I get another set of licences and medical checks. The difference – at the strip near Geelong I talk on the radio to the other 3 aircraft operating there at the same time – and work out our separation. At Moorabbin, an ATC is involved in the conversation, but given the behaviour and standards of some of the student pilots at Moorabbin, I’m keeping a double watch out to see what they are doing and intervene on the radio sometimes too.

    Aviation is full of silly rules and regulations for sure!

  • Russell M

    says:

    Helmut – re the REX Saabs……….I’ve done some quite long Dash 8 flights (Melbourne to Newcastle in a 8-100, Sydney Toowoomba in a -400. Canberra to Brisbane in a -400. All not too bad and survivable. Longer flights in a Saab 340 is a pain in the…….. Might be more economical for sure, but I’m no convinced the passenger appeal would be there? Anything more than 50 minutes in a Saab is a bit much. (That’s coming from someone who has had 2 hour sectors in a Metro, 90 minutes in a Navajo / C404, etc).

  • Anthony

    says:

    John, there is nothing dodgy going on at all. When Dubbo Airport had REX Saab340, QantasLink Q200 and Airlink B1900D and Navajo services only, security screening was not required, just optional under CASA requirements. When QantasLink announced the introduction of larger Q400 services, CASA required screening to be implemented, much to the dismay of REX, due to costs, etc… If the aircraft weighs over a certain tonne, (not seats, size, etc…), screening must be in place, post 9/11. Essendon has Metroliner III (Sharp Airlines) and B1900C (Free Spirit Airlines) flights which do not require screening. Air Tours Australia is not a passenger RPT service, rather a charter, so they are exempt. AVALON already has Jetstar Airbus flights, so screening is already there.

  • Jason

    says:

    Dubbo to Avalon? Avalon is almost as far out of Melbourne as Dubbo is!

    Seriously, I understand the issues JetGo has had with using Essendon and Tulla, but Avalon effectively takes half of your Melbourne-based market out of play. If you live in Dandenong or Brighton, you’re not going to want to drive to Avalon to catch a flight.

    I hope they get the crap with Tulla sorted as soon as possible and can get a gate slot there.

  • Adrian P

    says:

    How good would Moorabbin be for Brighton and Dandenong if the current operators got their act together.
    According to the Melbourne Plan, Moorabbin is supposed to be a transport hub.

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