State Govt vows regional capped airfare scheme will continue, but uncertainty remains over future pricing

Uncertainty over the future of a scheme capping regional airfares is escalating, with regional travellers facing increased prices when trying to book flights after its initial expiry date of June 30, 2026.

The State Government has vowed that the Regional Airfare Zone Cap scheme will continue beyond June 30 next year — when it was originally slated to end — but has yet to confirm whether the pricing model will stay the same or if regional passengers paying higher prices for flights in the second half of the year would be reimbursed.

In July while visiting Geraldton, Transport Minister Rita Saffioti stated: “This scheme is saving regional families thousands of dollars and giving people peace of mind that if they need to travel for urgent family or personal reasons, they won’t be stung with high prices”, but at the time stopped short of committing to an extension beyond mid-2026.

The scheme currently caps return fares on Qantas and Nexus airlines between Geraldton and Perth for residents at $199 each way when booked as a return fare from Geraldton and has propped up more than 500,000 discounted airfares for regional WA residents since its launch in 2022. For longer routes, one-way fares are capped at $299.

Responding to questions about this issue during a visit to the Mid West this week, Labor minister John Carey was confident of the program’s future after it had achieved “outstanding success”.

“If you want a demonstration of our Government’s commitment to regional WA, look no further than that capped scheme,” he said.

“We are absolutely committed to it, I want to give regional West Australians the assurance that the scheme will continue beyond June 30, 2026.

“The minister (Ms Saffioti) has already been on the public record that we are doing a review of the scheme to make sure that it is fit for purpose and working for regional West Australians.”

When checking return Qantas flights on Thursday afternoon through the zone scheme booking page, flights from Geraldton to Perth in mid-July next year were listed at $265 each way — rather than the capped $199 fare. Nexus appears to have closed its resident fare bookings after June 30.

City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune admitted to feeling “a little bit nervous” about the State Government’s commitment to the scheme and whether they would match it at the same pricing level if it continued.

“We’re such a large State, and the capital cities are a long way from most of the other places, so to be able to get there is vitally important,” he said.

“We’ve spent a lot of money down that part of the world (Perth), and all we’re asking for is a little bit of quality out in the bush.

“It’s a great initiative by the State Government, and it’s utilised really well . . . if they can give us some surety beyond that timeframe . . . then it will be a peace of mind for everybody.”