Have Your Say

QANTAS CUTTING WAGGA WAGGA TO MELBOURNE AND ALBURY TO MELBOURNE SERVICES IS DEEPLY DISAPPOINTING

30 January 2026

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT BY SUSSAN LEY AND MICHAEL McCORMACK

As the local members for Farrer and Riverina, we are deeply disappointed with today’s announcement by Qantas, which has made a business decision to suspend its services from Wagga Wagga to Melbourne and Albury to Melbourne from March this year.

We will be jointly writing to Qantas to express our concern about the axing of these routes, which will certainly have a detrimental impact on Wagga Wagga, Albury and the wider region we represent.

This announcement is a clear reflection of the worsening economic conditions being felt by industries and households across the nation and particularly in the Riverina and Farrer electorates, with many people conducting their business virtually due to ever-tightening margins. Those who are travelling for recreational and health reasons are choosing cheaper options.

Our understanding is Qantas’s Wagga Wagga to Melbourne route was unsustainably operating with less than 50 per cent of its passenger capacity and the Albury to Melbourne route was operating with less than 40 per cent of its passenger capacity.

We have been assured that demand is strong for the Wagga Wagga to Sydney, Wagga Wagga to Brisbane, Albury to Sydney and Albury to Brisbane services and there is no indication these routes will be adversely affected by today’s announcement.

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