Ballina Byron Gateway Airport has announced that FlyPelican will soon be flying directly from Ballina to the nation’s capital, Canberra.
The flights are going to start on 3 July, and represent the first new flight destination from Ballina in 9 years.
Flights are planned on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.
As well as giving Northern Rivers locals easier access to the delights of Canberra, it’s hoped that the new flights will boost tourism in the other direction, with people from the ACT no longer needing to travel to the sunny Northern Rivers via either Sydney or the Gold Coast.
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport Manager Julie Stewart is excited about the possibilities of the new route.
‘A key focus for us is to promote Northern Rivers NSW to other parts of Australia,’ she said, ‘so we’re thrilled to be working with Canberra Airport and airline partner FlyPelican in having a brand new exciting destination.
‘We look forward to welcoming Canberra locals to our beautiful part of the world. This is a great example of regional airports working together to create new destination opportunities.’
The federal members for Page and Richmond, MPs Kevin Hogan and Justine Elliott, also welcomed the news.
Bookings for the new Canberra direct service are available via flypelican.com.au.
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