Starting this week, invitations will be posted to more than 40,000 regional Western Australian households inviting them to take part in a survey about airfares and air travel within WA.
Households in 21 regional towns that have direct flights to and from Perth will receive a letter inviting residents to participate in a 10-15-minute online survey.
A sample of Perth metropolitan residents will also be surveyed online as well as passengers at Perth Airport.
The research is being conducted by Painted Dog Research and will help determine what Western Australians, particularly people living in the regions, think about air services.
Everyone who completes the survey has the option to provide their details to enter a draw and win a share of $1,500 in prizes.
The McGowan Government has committed to a 2-zone airfare cap, which will see the cost of flights to and from Perth capped at $199 each way for regional residents living within 1,000km of Perth, and $299 for regional residents further afield.
Towns that will receive survey invitations:
- Kimberley: Broome, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra
- Pilbara: Karratha, Newman, Onslow, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland
- Gascoyne: Carnarvon, Exmouth, Monkey Mia
- Goldfields-Esperance: Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Laverton, Leonora
- Mid-West: Geraldton, Meekatharra, Mount Magnet, Wiluna
- Great Southern: Albany
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Western Australia is a beautiful State and we want to encourage people to travel to see friends and family and to take a holiday.
"We also know how important accessible and affordable flights are for regional communities who may need quick access to flights for medical or business appointments - so it's important they have the right level of regional flights available.
"We have worked with airlines and the resources industry to introduce new, lower cost flight options from Perth to Port Hedland, Newman, Onslow and Kalgoorlie, as well as introducing a new subsidised 12-month trial of flights from Broome to Derby that will begin next month.
"We have also finalised a new service agreement with Rex that returned flights to Esperance and Monkey Mia to pre-COVID schedules - these are the only two Rex air routes in Australia that have returned to pre-COVID service levels.
"It's vital we know what's important to regional Western Australians when it comes to regional flights so we can put the right initiatives in place to improve air travel within WA.
"If you receive an invitation to participate in this survey, I strongly encourage you to jump online and have your say."
