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Jetgo delays launch of Dubbo-Melbourne service

written by australianaviation.com.au | October 2, 2015

Passengers at Brisbane Airport board Jetgo's inaugural flight to Tamworth. (Jetgo)
Jetgo Embraer ERJ135 at Brisbane Airport. (Jetgo)

Jetgo has delayed the launch of its new Dubbo-Melbourne service after the regional carrier was unable to secure terminal space at Tullamarine and prevented from operating to Essendon Airport due to a lack of passenger screening facilities.

The new three times a week offering was due to begin in late October and run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays with 36-seat Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets.

However, Melbourne Tullamarine told the airline it could not accommodate the the airline at its new Terminal 4, which opened in August and is currently used by Tigerair Australia. Jetstar is due to move into the terminal on November 10, with Regional Express also due to move in at some stage.

When Jetgo sought to utilise Essendon Airport, it discovered that because its ERJ-135 regional jets had a maximum takeoff weight of 20,000kg, Office of Transport Security (OTS) regulations required there be passenger screening facilities available for its regular public transport (RPT) service.

Jetgo managing director for airlines Paul Bredereck said the airline had unsuccessfully sought a short-term exemption until the facilities at Essendon could be upgraded, given its aircraft was right on the maximum takeoff weight limit.

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“It is the only 36-seat RPT aircraft in the country that requires security screening,” Bredereck told Australian Aviation.

“We initially expected that we could install security screening appropriate for that airport, and Jetgo would have amended its transport security plans.

“We thought that would have been a reasonably straightforward exercise. As it’s turned out, the process is more complicated than what we expected and OTS require significantly more work to be compliant with that.

“Essendon for us is a good option, we are quite happy to pay for the security screening that is required but OTS have indicated that their requirements are far more onerous than what we had originally expected.

“As a result that will take several months.”

Bredereck said Melbourne Airport told him there was no terminal access available at Tullamarine, given Terminals 1, 2 and 3 had no space and the new Terminal 4 was off-limits to new operators for a certain period of time.

The airline was also considering other short-term options while waiting for the Essendon Airport situation to be resolved.

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Comments (11)

  • Ben

    says:

    Terminal 4 is off limits?? So let me get this straight, a privately owned airport that is run for PROFIT is turning away new business from a brand new terminal with more than enough space to accommodate a sole ERJ135 three times a week! Not to mention the growth/connecting potential. With the exception of Rex (who has never been interested in the route) the others in T4 don’t even have aircraft small enough to get into Dubbo.

    Sheer madness. Hope LinFox can get facilities in place for them… to the victor go the spoils.

  • Qing Gü

    says:

    Why not Avalon?

  • Chris

    says:

    sounds like a well planned operation…

  • Keigo Namba

    says:

    Well Avalon has all the facilities to fly in and out. Hope jetgo consider that and see how it works for a start until things are sorted out

  • Ian Deans

    says:

    Ludicrous! A brand new terminal built for growth, and not yet fully utilised,.then they turn away a new airline on a new route for a service only three times a week. Why? Melbourne airport needs to expain.

  • TrashHauler

    says:

    Poor old regional aviation suffers again. People in positions of power in capital cities clearly have their heads in the sand

  • Wes

    says:

    A previous PM recently said Australia was open for business.

    Apparently not according to Tullamarine Terminal 4 and the Essendon office of OTS.

    Australian bureaucracy at its stifling finest.

  • David Wilding

    says:

    Sounds like a classic case of trying to shut out competition

  • Paul Bredereck

    says:

    Start date not delayed!
    Avalon Airport have been great and will allow us to start the DBO services until we get Essendon approved.

  • adammudhen

    says:

    @Paul B, great news!! Great to see some common sense being used.. Not sure what impacts it would have on pax numbers, but I’d love to see Avalon airport used long term for these flights (and perhaps others, Rex). A great opportunity for all involved, surely this is the benefit of a secondary airport like Avalon.

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