Kimberley aviation services to receive more than $1.5 million towards infrastructure upgrade

Aviation services throughout the Kimberley region will see an upgrade as the Regional Airports Development Scheme allocates funding to improve infrastructure, safety and accessibility. The RADS grants program will allocate more than $1.5 million to eight Kimberley air services, to improve safety, accessibility and affordability. The grants will benefit Warmun Aerodrome, Balgo Hills, Mulan Airstrip, Halls Creek Airport, Kalumburu Airport, Kununurra Airport, Fitzroy Crossing Airport and Mount Hart Airstrip. Work on the projects is currently under way and expected to be complete by 2023. It comes less than a month before the trial of direct flights between Broome and Derby takes off on August 16, with a fixed price of $119 one way. Current trials have already seen great success, with East Kimberley residents embracing a third weekly return air service between Balgo and Kununurra, via Halls Creek, which was introduced in February. Passengers on the Aviair operated route have increased significantly compared to previous years, with more than 600 people using the service between February and June this year. It is more than double as many passengers as the same period last year and almost a 70 per cent increase since the same period in 2019. Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said the government were committed to increasing regional air services, lowering the cost of air travel and ensuring remote airstrips were well-maintained. “The isolation of many Kimberley communities, with road access often limited during wet the season, means regular and reliable air services and safe, accessible airports are critical for the wellbeing of residents,” she said. Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna said it was important for Kimberley residents to have access to affordable and quality flights. “It is crucial that regional and remote Western Australians have frequent air services to access medical and other government services, visit family and conduct business,” she said. “I am so pleased the Balgo and Kununurra, via Halls Creek flight has been such a success and I look forward to seeing how popular the Derby to Broome flight is when it commences in August.”