MILDURA Airport’s long-awaited Sydney service has taken another hit with passenger numbers well down due to the NSW COVID-19 outbreak.
Airport chief executive Trevor Willcock said just before the Christmas period QantasLink put on two extra flights per week to account for anticipated holiday travel.
However those additional flights were cancelled this week as passenger numbers on the Mildura-bound flights plummeted in line with the introduction of Sydney’s lockdown measures.
“The (passenger numbers) have definitely dropped because everyone in Sydney is obviously not allowed to travel anymore so we’re only really getting the people who are either diverting through there or coming up from outlying areas,” Mr Willcock said.
He said inbound passengers on the Sydney flight were given a COVID-19 test before entering the Mildura terminal, and were then required to self-isolate until they received test results, which have a typical turnaround time of 24 hours.
“Passengers stay on the aircraft and a person from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will go on and brief them,” Mr Willcock said.
“They then disembark and are processed through a testing station, which is a couple of tents with DHHS staff.”
Mildura’s Sydney link was due to launch in March but the coronavirus pandemic put those plans on hold.
The inaugural QantasLink flight from Sydney finally touched down in Mildura on November 23, before NSW’s current COVID-19 wave caused disruptions.
“Before this outbreak we were sitting on 80 per cent (capacity), it was really good,” Mr Willcock said.
“However, this week it would be around the 40 to 50 per cent mark.”
Mr Willcock said he was thankful the airline’s regular four flights per week from Sydney to Mildura continued to operate.
“We were excited to get the Sydney capacity but then lost it to COVID and then very shortly after starting them we’ve seen numbers now drop, so from our point of view it’s very disappointing,” Mr Willcock said.
“But I am very pleased that flights are still available, especially at this time of year.”
He said Rex and QantasLink flights between Melbourne and Mildura were back to about 70 per cent capacity, which was usual for the Christmas period.
