Dear Lord Howe Island residents,
The NSW Government will today announce its decision on the grant of a licence for the air service between Sydney and Lord Howe Island.
The outcome of the competitive market process run by Transport for NSW is that QantasLink will continue to operate the Sydney to Lord Howe Island route until 25 February 2026, at which time it will transition to Queensland-based regional airline Skytrans until March 2030. Both QantasLink and Skytrans are committed to a seamless and effective transition.
Skytrans will operate the Sydney to Lord Howe route on a codeshare basis with Qantas. Skytrans brings over 30 years of experience serving remote communities across Queensland, including Torres Strait islands. As part of the transition process, the QantasLink fleet of Dash 8 Q200 aircraft will be transferred to Skytrans to add to their existing fleet which includes Dash 8 100 and 300 aircraft.
The grant of the licence to QantasLink and Skytrans will ensure stability and continuity of this critical service for Lord Howe into the future.
An event is being held at 11.30am today at the Lord Howe Island Public Hall. We encourage you to attend to meet senior executives from Transport for NSW QantasLink and Skytrans and ask any questions that you may have about the transition.
More information can be found at these links:
Media Release – Lord Howe Island and Moree air licences awarded
Media Release – Lord Howe Island Flights – Qantas and Skytrans
A detailed transition plan will be prepared by QantasLink and Skytrans in consultation with the Lord Howe Island Board. We will continue to seek your input as part of that process.
Yours sincerely, Atticus Fleming and Robert Jeremy, Chair/Deputy Chair, Lord Howe Island Board
