Return of Bali and Brisbane flights on the horizon

Flights to Bali and Brisbane edge closer as the Town of Port Hedland agrees to provide the airport with funding to help incentivise carriers to return the in-demand connections. Last month, the North West Telegraph reported that Port Hedland International Airport would soon make an announcement on the return of flights to Brisbane and were working with two Indonesian-based airlines on flight connections to Bali. At Wednesday night’s council meeting, councillors endorsed providing incentivsed payments to commercial carriers to start weekly flights to Brisbane before the end of the year. Flights to Bali are being targeted for late 2023 or early 2024. Mayor Peter Carter said the connections were a vital part of making the town an attractive place to live. “We are confident having a connection to Brisbane on the east coast will be a popular route used by travellers,” he said. “Having that connection is important from an economic point of view, but also socially. “Our community was also extremely disappointed that Bali flights have not returned after they were cancelled during COVID-19. “These incentivised payments are a one-off designed to ensure the flights return to Hedland. No money will be paid until the flights start.” A 2016 profit-sharing agreement between the Town and PHIA provides funding to the Town when passenger numbers exceed a baseline figure. The Town will use some of the funds from this agreement to help return the Bali and Brisbane flights. PHIA chief executive Dave Batic said financial support from the Town would help the negotiations with airlines. “We are having conversations with multiple airlines both domestically and internationally to add Port Hedland to their schedule,” he said. “Our team has been proactive in selling the benefits of Port Hedland as a destination and is confident we can secure new services into Port Hedland with the support of the Town and improve livability through connectivity.” Mr Batic revealed to the North West Telegraph that a major holdup in getting Bali flights was acquiring the necessary staff. “Australian Border Force are required to service these flights so we are working through the logistics of getting Australian Border Force Staff from Perth Airport to service overseas flights,” he said. Flights to Brisbane and Bali from the PHIA were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic because of quarantine laws, a move Mr Batic said he had been working to reverse ever since. In March 2022 Mr Batic announced Virgin flights to Bali would resume later that year but the plans were scrapped due to what Virgin claimed was low demand.