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Shellharbour Airport in the NSW Illawarra region will be left without regular passenger services when Link Airways suspends flights later this month.
All Link Airways flights from Shellharbour to Melbourne and Brisbane will be suspended starting 20 May due to “increased fuel costs and reduced demand”, meaning residents of Shellharbour and the Illawarra, including Wollongong, will need to travel to Sydney for air services.
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“Affected customers will be contacted and offered a full refund. We will continue to monitor the market closely and look to return to Wollongong when demand recovers,” the airline said in a statement on its website.
“Link Airways would like to thank the Illawarra community, and Councils, for their ongoing support since Link Airways commenced flights from Wollongong (Shellharbour Airport) in November 2018.”
In a statement, Shellharbour City Council said it was “saddened” to hear of Link Airways’ decision and is working to bring flights back to the airport.
“We recognise this decision has not been taken lightly, reflecting the challenging environment and broader cost pressures affecting businesses and households. While we understand these realities, we know this news will be disappointing for our community.
“Shellharbour Airport is a key economic driver that supports connectivity, business, tourism and essential travel. Council values its long‑standing relationship with Link Airways and is continuing to work with the airline as we manage this transition.
“Council will continue to work with airline partners to support the return of passenger services.”
The news comes after an alliance of regional cities in NSW last year met with state government officials to lobby for a capped regional airfare scheme similar to Western Australia’s.
“Aviation is essential for our businesses, tourism and emergency services. Our airports face high maintenance and compliance costs despite lower passenger numbers. Mobility around the regions has slowed as airfares have risen over the past six years,” said RCNSW chair Councillor Steve Krieg at the time.
“Accessible regional flights are critical not only to the prosperity of our regional cities, but to their survival. Regional cities are not asking for special treatment. We’re asking for fair investment to match our role in growing New South Wales and to help our cities to be the best they can be.”
Link Airways this week launched a new service connecting Canberra to Launceston.
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