CHEAPER travel will allow Leeton shire businesses to prosper, according to the town’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Regional Express (Rex) and the Narrandera and Leeton shire councils have entered into a five-year partnership agreement which sees the introduction of a new community fare until 2023.
The “Rex community fare” will be $129 one-way to Sydney from the the Narrandera-Leeton Airport.
It will be available on 25 per cent of total seats between the route for advanced bookings of at least 30 days prior to departure.
Following that, remaining seats on a flight 24 hours to taking off will be available at the same level.
Leeton Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Jodie Ryan had no doubt it would help business owners in town.
“There are a lot who do need to travel to Sydney for their business, for things like conferences and meetings,” she said.
“This will definitely save them on money and time too.
“You’re not having that long drive … you can now think about going up and back in a day.”
Mrs Ryan was hopeful it would also draw more visitors from the city to the Leeton shire area.
A Facebook poll conducted by The Irrigator asking residents whether they would now be more inclined to fly to Sydney from the Narrandera-Leeton Airport revealed the majority were now likely to do so thanks to the cheaper fare.
Two hundred and ninety eight people voted in the poll which asked “are you more likely to fly to and from Sydney from the Narrandera/Leeton Airport now a cheaper community fare has been introduced?”
Of those, 276 said they believed they would now fly more regularly, while 22 still thought driving was more economical.
Leeton Shire Council mayor Paul Maytom said the agreement was “win-win”.
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“Rex will have greater certainty about their forward costs locally and our residents will have access to more affordable fares – something they’ve been wanting for some time,” he said.
“We value our regular Rex flights in and out of the Narrandera-Leeton Airport … (this) should see passenger numbers increase which will, in turn, help secure the long term viability of this important service.”
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