Thousands of regional residents jump on board with capped airfares

• Residents in regional WA have embraced the capped airfares launched in July 2022
• More than 28,000 capped airfares flown between July and September
• Scheme caps airfares at $199 or $299 depending on distance from Perth 

The State Government's Regional Airfares Zone Cap (RAZC) scheme has proved popular with regional residents, with more than 28,400 capped fares flown during the first three months since the launch of the scheme on 1 July this year.

The Karratha-Perth route had the highest uptake of capped airfares during the three-month period from July to September 2022, with 6,404 one-way fares flown. The Broome route was the second highest, with 4,052, followed by Kalgoorlie with 3,317 and Port Hedland with 3,013.

The RAZC scheme gives people living in regional Western Australia access to capped airfares for travel to and from Perth on 18 regional air routes, all year round.

Fares are capped at $199 one-way for regional residents living within 1,000 kilometres of Perth, and $299 one way for those living more than 1,000km from Perth. The zone cap fare is for personal travel only and must be booked as a return trip, with the flight starting from the region.

The scheme is an Australian-first initiative which is supported by the State Government and is helping improve liveability in the regions by addressing the high cost of regional airfares.

An initial review of the scheme will be undertaken in the first half of 2023 to evaluate its operation and identify if any future improvements are required.

The scheme is delivered in partnership with regional airlines - Airnorth, Qantas, Regional Express (REX), Skippers Aviation and Virgin. Residents can book the capped fares through the participating regional airlines.

For more information on the Regional Airfare Zone Cap Scheme, visit www.farego.wa.gov.au

As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:

"Delivering this scheme was a key election commitment for our Government, and the response from regional residents in the first three months has been incredible, with 28,439 capped airfares flown.

"These numbers really speak to the popularity of the scheme, especially from the top selling air routes of Karratha, Broome, Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland where the distance to Perth makes driving more prohibitive.

"This scheme is giving people in our regions a more affordable and accessible way to travel, including getting to vital medical appointments in the city at short notice, as well as staying connected with family and friends, helping improve liveability in the regions."

Data on the Zone Cap uptake July to Sept 2022