Red tape changes flight plans

Len Norton

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PLANS to introduce a charter flight from Hervey Bay to Melbourne have changed drastically due to red tape and lack of interest from the region's business.

Hervey Bay Airport cafe owner Len Norton has been working since September to introduce a charter flight to and from Melbourne in an effort to bring traffic back through the airport.

He is now in talks with a company to instead introduce a flight to the Sunshine Coast that would connect with a Melbourne-bound flight.

The change of plans would drastically reduce the hurdles it would take to get a Hervey Bay-Melbourne flight off the ground.

"To introduce a charter flight, I have to become an airline," Mr Norton said.

He said the interested company was now doing their homework to see if a new flight was viable before they would commit to the project.

If it goes ahead, it would allow for up to 100 people per flight.

Mr Norton still has plans to continue finding a way to allow a reciprocal flight from the Victorian capital in an effort to boost tourism.

"What we really need to do is attract Melbourne people here," he said.

Mr Norton first raised the idea after a drop of more than 1000 passengers per week at the Hervey Bay Airport, which heavily impacted on business at his cafe.

He had called on local businesses to sign up as part of a three-day holiday package to lure passengers to Hervey Bay, but received a disappointing response.

"I am flabbergasted at the amount of people who don't care," he said.