There’s exciting momentum taking off in Hervey Bay—literally. From October, Qantas will reinstate early morning and evening flights between Hervey Bay and Brisbane, making same-day return travel for business more practical and improving onward domestic and international connections. On top of that, Jetstar is expanding its services from Melbourne to four flights per week, and will run daily flights from Sydney during peak season, delivering over 38,000 affordable fare seats annually.
These wins are no accident. The Fraser Coast Regional Council, working closely with both Qantas and Jetstar, has shown real leadership in restoring and expanding our region’s air services. It’s a clear demonstration of their commitment to economic growth, tourism, and regional liveability.
Connectivity to capital cities is vital for a regional city like ours. It supports everything from business and fly-in-fly-out workers to family connections and, most critically, medical access. Flights allow specialists to fly in for consultations—sometimes same-day—which improves health outcomes across the region.
The recently released 2024 Domestic Aviation Activity Report ranked Hervey Bay Airport 29th among Australia’s top 50 regional airports, with 183,300 passengers—a 24.6% increase year-on-year. That growth tells a powerful story.
But if we want to keep this momentum, we must support these flights. If we don’t use them, we risk losing them—as we’ve seen in the past. Let’s make a conscious effort to book local, encourage friends and family to fly in, and get behind these services.
Well done to Fraser Coast Regional Council for their advocacy. These flights bring opportunity, investment, and connection—and they help keep our region soaring.
