Ensuring there is seamless connectivity for international carriers from Australia’s main online ports to central Australia is a matter of “national importance”, according to Journey Beyond chief commercial officer Matt Cameron-Smith.
Speaking with travelbulletin‘s sister publication Travel Daily following Virgin Australia’s shock decision to indefinitely suspend flights between Uluru and the eastern hubs of Brisbane and Melbourne from late October, Cameron-Smith said it was crucial for air connections to remain stable and consistent.
“Unless we can fulfil that very important Sydney, Reef and Rock piece in an efficient and effective way, it means that international travellers might go to another destination,” he said.
In making its decision to suspend its two routes to Uluru, VA said its rationale was to prioritise services with the highest demand and best long-term sustainability.
However, Cameron-Smith said that while carriers are no doubt feeling the pinch from fuel increases and drops in confidence, demand for central Australia was better than ever.
“We have seen demand grow to pre-pandemic levels and we are still at half the air network we had pre-COVID, so the good news is that the destination has never been more popular,” he said.
“There’s a confidence issue at this point in time but that will resolve and we need to be ready to fulfil that demand when it comes back.
“If you retreat from a retreating market, when the market comes back, you are further away.”
Cameron-Smith added that Brisbane and Melbourne remain very important to the Territory, with services to Uluru acting as a “gateway” to other key destinations such as Kings Canyon and Alice Springs.
The Journey Beyond executive added he was “optimistic” VA would return down the track.
