No more favours: Boyle
Qantas has been told not to expect any favours from the Queensland Government after effectively dumping Cairns and Far North Queensland from its international links.
The fallout yesterday from Qantas’ decision to drop the state’s biggest international link – Cairns to Tokyo (Narita) – included anger and bewilderment at the decision and with the way the former golden child of Australia’s international industry handled it.
Tourism Minister Desley Boyle was angry and upset as she fronted media and tourism representatives in Cairns yesterday.
"Qantas has clearly put profit and its share price before Queensland and in the future, that is how we will treat Qantas," Ms Boyle said.
"Profit is clearly king in business and we need to be as hard-headed ourselves. "We’re in the business of tourism and we will say thank you to whoever gives us the best offer for Queensland tourists in the future.
"If that’s not Qantas and Jetstar, so be it.’’
The airline has been branded arrogant for not holding talks with Cairns Ports (owner of the Cairns airport) or Gold Coast Airports.
Cairns Ports CEO Neil Quinn said while Qantas officials had flown to Cairns, that was just to deliver a message and not for discussions.
Gold Coast managing director Dennis Chant said news it would get Jetstar flights to Tokyo’s Narita airport had "come right out of the blue".
"We had just lost domestic flights and as we had no Qantas international flights, we really didn’t expect anything from Qantas’ international restructuring," he told The Weekend Post.
"We didn’t know anything until 3pm yesterday.’’
Mr Quinn, Mr Chant and Gold Coast Tourism chairman Paul Donovan said they had not had any discussions with Qantas.
The Weekend Post contacted Qantas yesterday for a comment from CEO Geoff Dixon but PR spokesman Simon Rushton replied: "I don’t think so. We put out our release yesterday."
contacted Qantas yesterday for a comment from CEO Geoff Dixon but PR spokesman Simon Rushton replied: "I don’t think so. We put out our release yesterday."Jetstar CEO Alan Joyce was yesterday reported saying Qantas could not sustain two links from Cairns to Narita.
Share this article
Not happy: Tourism Minister and Cairns MP Desley Boyle says the State Government will do no more favours for Qantas after it left the Far North in the lurch.
New Jetstar flights between Cairns and Osaka
THE re-introduction of Jetstar's four weekly direct services to Osaka in Japan and a doubling of flights to Melbourne from April 1 next year are the first significant announcements today by the airline as the result of a new agreement with Cairns Airport.
Kate earns National Pride Medal
INSPIRING young leader and cancer survivor Kate Smith could hardly believe she won a national Pride of Australia medal last night.
Escapee back in custody
BREAKING NEWS: Police have found a man who escaped from police custody at Ravenshoe on Sunday night.
Woman watched boyfriend bash, strip tourist
THE girlfriend of a man accused of raping and attempting to rape two foreign tourists at a Cairns caravan park says she watched him bash and strip one of them then chase after her.
