New Gulf flights could help save lives

"It's been a long time coming, this should have been on the ground years ago," he said.

"This is a big win for locals as FIFO workers usually take up all the flights, a lot of the time our mob will save up but then find out all the seats are taken.

"Just recently we had an incident in town where somebody was having heart drama, and we can be stuck without a doctor for 5 hours a day because of the transition in flights, so we had nurses calling a doctor and putting him on a video meeting.

"The extra service will change that, it's a bit of a life saver."

Mayor of neighbouring Burke Shire Council Ernie Camp, also welcomes the additional flights for the Gulf region.

"It is certainly a win for the whole Gulf," he said.

"The passengers that move on to these additional flights will take the demand off the seats on the milk run flights.

"It allows better access to health and access to peers and family in Cairns."

Acting Premier Steven Miles today announced the Palaszczuk Government would invest $1.2 million in a 10-month trial with Regional Express Airlines (Rex) to operate the services.

The trial will start on March 6 and introduce additional flights on Mondays and Fridays for the remote communities of Normanton and Mornington Island.

The Acting Premier said Mondays and Fridays were busy days for travel throughout the gulf and these additional flights would provide extra capacity to ensure more people could travel to the area.

"The Monday flight will take off from Cairns and stop in Normanton before travelling to Mornington Island and then returning to Cairns," Mr Miles said.

"The Friday service will leave from Cairns and stop on Mornington Island first before stopping in Normanton and returning to Cairns.

"These flights will provide additional capacity to ensure essential services are delivered in the Gulf and they will also provide better access to health, education and employment in regional centres such as Cairns and Mount Isa.

"The flights will also provide a boost for tourism to ensure more people can travel to and experience one of the most beautiful and unique parts of the country."

The trial will complement the existing Gulf regulated air route, which provides services for the communities of Burketown and Doomadgee in addition to Normanton and Mornington Island.

Rex General Manager of Network Strategy Warrick Lodge said the airline had operated Gulf route services in partnership with with the Department of Transport and Main Roads since January 2015.

"The record passenger numbers achieved during 2022 are a testament to the safe, reliable and affordable services we have delivered to the communities over the past eight years," Mr Lodge said.

"The increase in capacity supports this growth in demand, and will be instrumental in enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of these remote Communities in 2023."

The Mornington Island Airport, known as the Barney Charles and Larry Gavenor Airport, is owned and operated by Mornington Shire Council and is located in the Gununa township and offers an airfare subsidy to make flights more affordable for locals.

Mayor Yanner believes hard work building relationships with Rex and levels of government has paid off with news of additional flights and it is positive news for the future of his community.

"We are thankful for the extra 60 seats a week," he said.

"You will see that go a long way and I daresay my community is thankful for it.

"It means more access for my people to get in and out when they need to and it gives people the opportunity to come, tourism is a median term solution for our economic driver, so once we start tourism up, the flights are there."

The trial of new Gulf aviation services will start in March.

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