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The Western Australian government has announced a suite of support measures for regional aviation as high fuel costs continue to bite.
In a bid to keep airfares low for passengers, the state government will kick in to maintain current prices under the Regional Airfare Zone Cap (RAZC) scheme, some of which were slated to increase from the middle of this year, and cover additional fuel costs on “critical intra-regional routes”.
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“This includes Aviair-operated routes between Broome to Derby, Broome to Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek, Kununurra to Halls Creek and Balgo, and Kununurra to Kalumburu, as well as Nexus-operated routes between Geraldton, Karratha, Port Hedland, and Broome,” the government said in a press release.
According to state Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, the changes – along with a three-month trial allowing larger road trains to travel closer to Perth along Great Northern Highway – were made after consultation through the Industry Support Working Group.
“Our government is committed to working with the transport industry to ensure we keep Western Australia moving and our economy strong amid the ongoing fuel security impacts of the conflict in the Middle East,” she said.
“With fuel costs rising for our regional airlines, we’re covering the costs so that they are not passed onto our regional residents, and they can continue to access affordable capped regional airfares.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and work with our transport industry to explore more ways to help streamline their operations and reduce fuel use.”
The revised RAZC scheme would have capped “high-demand” fares at a maximum of $265 one-way for locations within 1,000km of Perth and $385 for destinations further away, compared to $199 and $299, respectively, for “low-demand” fares.
“These changes to our landmark Regional Airfare Zone Cap Scheme mean it will continue, and we can provide peace of mind to WA families that affordable airfares are here to stay,” Minister Saffioti said in February.
“This scheme has already delivered more than 758,000 capped flights for regional Western Australians since it was introduced in 2022.
“Without it, some regional residents could have been paying more than a thousand dollars to travel to Perth to see loved ones, healthcare professionals or access essential services.
“Changes to the scheme are also driving competition among airlines, with some already setting fares below the maximum caps for certain routes, offering more savings for regional residents.”
Extended until 2031 with an extra $122 million government investment, the RAZC is administered in partnership with Airnorth, Nexus, Qantas, Rex, Skippers Aviation and Virgin. The government pays airlines part of the fare difference, though exact amounts are commercial in confidence.
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