The future of regional travel begins as Nexus touches down in Port Hedland for the first time

The long-awaited dream for more regional airlines has finally come as a Nexus airplane touches down in Port Hedland for the first time. The plane landed at 1:20 pm on Monday, July 10 with a small group of guest passengers disembarking at Port Hedland International Airport for a quick break before reloading for the next leg of the journey. The inaugural flight traveled from Geraldton to Karratha to Hedland and then Broome. Pilbara MP Kevin Michel said the airline would make travel more affordable for Pilbara residents. “Today marks a momentous occasion for regional aviation in this State, with regional residents, particularly those in the Pilbara, being offered more choice and better affordability than ever before,” he said. “The direct route between Karratha and Geraldton will bring significant benefits to both Pilbara and Mid West businesses.” The State Government invested $4 million over four years to support the new link between Geraldton and Karratha. Under a four-year agreement with the Government, Nexus has exclusive rights to the expanded Inter-Regional Flight Network. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the launch of the airline showed the Government’s commitment to improving regional travel services. “We have invested more than $4m over four years to include this link and enable Nexus Airlines to use bigger aircraft on the entire network to deliver greater comfort and cheaper fares for regional residents,” she said. “Our Government is committed to working productively with airlines to improve aviation access and affordability for regional Western Australians as demonstrated through the successful Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme. “The commencement of Nexus services is another example of how this approach is helping to grow our state’s regional aviation services for the benefit of regional people.” Daily flights between Geraldton and Perth begin next week, with the full schedule expected to be reached next month. Kununurra and Darwin will be added to the network on July 28. According to Nexus’ website the first one-way flight from Port Hedland to Perth, on July 18, will cost $549 at the time of writing.