Countdown to first Melbourne flight

THIS time next week Whitsunday residents will be welcoming the first direct flight from Melbourne to Proserpine’s Whitsunday Coast Airport.

Touching down on Thursday, June 25, Whitsunday mayor Jennifer Whitney said Whitsunday residents had been wanting these flights for some time.

“These direct flights are something that locals having been crying out for and many members of the local community will love being able to fly directly to Melbourne from Whitsunday Coast Airport,” she said. Flights will now run three times a week between Melbourne and Proserpine, operating each Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

Whitsundays Marketing and Development Limited executive director Jeff Aquilina said the flights were a win for local business owners.

“The new flights provide significant opportunities for further growth of the local tourism industry and particularly the continuous development of the Whitsunday coast,” he said.