Same-day return flights praised by Warrego MP Ann Leahy

Rex's service to the south west towns began on January 1, after it won the Queensland government's regional transport service contract for the route previously serviced by QantasLink.

The company is offering 28 return flights per week between Roma and Brisbane, a significant increase on the 12 return flights a week operated by QantasLink, and according to Warrego MP Ann Leahy, same-day returns will make a crucial difference to users.

There will be four return flights a day between Brisbane-Roma on most weekdays, six on Fridays, and flights on both days of the weekend.

"That is critically important for our health services," Ms Leahy said.

"Because of the changes previously we lost two orthopaedic specialists from our hospital, which meant more people had travel away by driving.

"And a lot of people don't get their treatment when they can't go on a same-day return.

"The doctors' schedules are very strict, because they're working around the access to operating theatres in Brisbane so they need to be able to move on particular days with certainty.

"I think the schedule we've seen gives that certainty."

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Ms Leahy added that the Charleville community had lost the service of a heart specialist due to the reduction in post-COVID flights.

"It's not just Roma and district, it's the whole of the south west, that will benefit," she said.

Fare affordability is the key factor for Maranoa Regional Council mayor Tyson Golder, who cited two well attended public meetings in Roma where people voiced their dissatisfaction with QantasLink's fare increases.

"The devil generally is in the detail - the community will know because they will start using the services," he said.

"There's people now that actually get in their car and drive because it's not affordable to fly, and they're local business people.

"We need to get it where you wouldn't think of driving.

"I think the last operator just wanted more profitability out of the route so all the rules changed and all the pricing changed."

According to Rex's general manager network strategy Warrick Lodge, the airline would provide increased flight frequency, improved schedule convenience and fare affordability through the Rex Community Fare scheme.

He said it would "unlock significant benefits for the local communities and have the potential of reversing the downward spiral of passenger numbers due to years of neglect".

Because Rex is operating smaller 33-seat planes on the route, the council announced in December that security screening would no longer be required in the Roma terminal, and that it would pass 100 per cent of the cost savings directly onto Rex.

Cr Golder said he hoped Rex would be the operator that got everyone flying, boosting "pretty low numbers".

"We need to get those numbers up way past 100,000 - I'd like to see it get to 150,000," he said. "That's better for our services, businesses outside the region, they're the future of the Maranoa."

Ms Leahy said she was hopeful of more connectivity in the south west, now that the one airline was servicing all communities, saying it could be a good omen for St George's desire to have a third weekly flight.

General manager for sales, Anne Elliott revealed that the company was having discussions with numerous contractors and companies that service the region's resource industries, but said she couldn't divulge the nature of those discussions.

Ms Leahy said the feedback she'd received from companies' senior management was that they were pleased with Rex's attitude.

"They're looking at some things that might help in various ports that we probably didn't have flights to before, without giving away too much information," she said.

The contract with Rex runs for a period of five years.

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