Air North CEO Daniel Bowden says new direct flights from Alice Springs to Cairns will start on April 14 with 100 seat capacity on the E190 jets

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we know that Virgin is cutting flights into the

(00:02):
Northern Territory, which we covered last week. But in some
really good news, Air North is expanding, announcing the launch
of services between Alice Springs and Cans. The service is
going to operate three times a week as I understand it,
and joining us on the line right now is the
CEO of Air North, Daniel Barden. Good morning to you, Daniel.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Good morning Katie.

Speaker 1 (00:26):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, mate, tell
us a little bit more about this service and what
days it's going to operate.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, thanks, yet three times a week Monday, Wednesday, Friday.
Prices will be starting from two hundred and nine and
nine dollars and we'll be kicking this new service off
just in time for East at fourteenth of April.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
That is great, great to hear, and I think some
really welcome news I would suggest for the people of
Alice Springs. Have you had much feedback so far, Daniel?
What are they saying to you?

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, it's been really positive. I mean this adds another
thirty thousand seats in and out of Alice Springs and
with combined with our perth Alis service which has had
a really successful start last year and our center run
service and all will be i think flying something around
the mark of seventy thousand seats in and out of
Alice Springs. So we're certainly you know, getting a good

(01:21):
response from the locals, and particularly on our perth Als service,
we're seeing you know, that taken up by five FO workers,
tour groups, you know, leisure travelers. So we're really happy
with the way it's progressing and what type.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
Of aircraft is being used in sort of how many
seats on each aircraft.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Well, over the last four years, Ennorth actually increases jet
fleet by seventy five percent with the introduction of the
the Embraya E one ninety, which is one hundred set aircraft.
Formerly we were flying only the E one seventy, which
is seventy six seats. So with the extra thirty percent
sea capacity, we're actually now flying fifty percent more seats
in and out of the Northern Territory than we were

(02:02):
pre COVID. So we're the only airline that's actually grown
our number of seats in and out of the territory
and we're proud of that.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
And is that as a result of the new Embrayer
or what sort of made that possible for Air North.

Speaker 2 (02:17):
I mean during COVID, we continue to invest in the
business and improve our package. We've now currently employing over
two hundred and fifty people. We've got the most aircrew
that we've had in our forty seven year existence. So
we're in a good position now to start taking on
new services and this is one of them.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
It is good news, and I think particularly at a
time when Territorians are really screaming out for that connectivity.
You know, we very often, to put it bluntly, we
feel like we're getting shafted sometimes by some of those
major airlines.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Well, we're trying. We're doing our best to increase capacity,
and increase capacity helps bring down prices. And we all
know prices in the top end can be high given
the distances and the small traveling numbers. But you know,
by investing in our business, growing our air fleet, growing
our season technical staff, you know, we're providing more seats

(03:14):
and that's helping bring down price.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
So Daniel tell us again, when can people when are
those flights becoming available to book?

Speaker 2 (03:22):
So from the folly becoming available to book today and
services keep off from the fourteenth of April.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
And have you got any other plans when it comes
to further expansions for the Northern Territory or into any
other locations.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Yeah, we've got the capability to continue to grow our
network and we'll do so prudently. The business has been
around forty seven years and that's because it does it
on a prudent basis. So when we start a service,
we continue that service. So it's our every intention to
keep building on the network and growing the number of
connections for territories.

Speaker 1 (03:59):
Well, it is good news and lovely to speak to
you this morning. Airin North CEO Daniel Bowden, thanks so
much for your time.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Thanks Coti, thank you