Regional Express (Rex) has launched a blistering attack on Bega Valley Shire Council’s plans to increase the length of the runway at Merimbula Airport warning that any associated increased costs could spell the end of multiple daily services between Merimbula and Sydney, if not the entire service.
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The attack comes in a four-page response, sent on Thursday, February 9, to questions from the Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association.
Signed by Warrick Lodge, the general manager of network strategy and sales at Rex, the letter has also been sent to Member for Bega Andrew Constance, who was instrumental in getting the $7million funding to expand the airport, and also to council’s general manager, Leanne Barnes.
In his letter Mr Lodge rounds on council for what he calls its “build it and they will come” approach to airport development calling it “extremely naive” to hope another carrier would dedicate “precious Sydney Airport slots to fulfil the weaker demand of Merimbula when Merimbula cannot fill 55 per cent of the capacity Rex has dedicated to it”.
Mr Lodge said that even if another carrier could be found, a larger aircraft would mean fewer flights, probably amounting to just a middle of the day return service. He also refers to Rex’s earlier correspondence with council in 2010 where the company said in all of its experience “we have never witnessed such grandiose airport plans being put forward by a regional council”.
The company maintains that there is no need to extend the runway by 200 metres beyond the 1602m currently available and points to a number of locations where QantasLink has operated in the past or currently operates on similar length runways such as Moree, NSW and Rockhampton, QLD.
In its letter to Rex, the ratepayers’ association said: “The BVSRRA has been told that the strategic imperative driving council’s determination to extend the Merimbula Airport runway and open it to services using larger alternate aircraft is borne from its concern that the current SAAB 340 fleet of aircraft being used by Rex to service the routes is ageing and that there is also a danger that if and when the Sydney/Merimbula air route is deregulated, Rex might decide to abandon the service.”
Mr Lodge warned that “council can be almost certain that Rex’s services will be severely downgraded, if not withdrawn, if council embarks on this cavalier exercise”.
“It is well and good to receive government and ratepayer funding for airport works. However from experience (including some very recently), this will result in ongoing airport costs spiralling out of control,” Mr Lodge said.
“This then places upwards pressure on airport charges, which in turn threatens the viability of the regional air service meaning that the ultimate outcome will likely be no regional air services at all,” he said.
There was a clear warning for council that should the passenger head tax increase significantly as a result of the works, Rex would redeploy its “coveted slots to other more deserving regional cities” and simply service Merimbula with middle of the day services and may also terminate services to Melbourne.
