By Bridget McArthur

Copyright abc

Low demand is being blamed on Qantas axing its Perth to Busselton flight less than three months after it was first launched.

The direct link from WA’s capital city to the state’s premier food and wine region was touted as a major boost for tourism when the inaugural flight launched on June 27.

The new route operated three times a week and was expected to fly more than 15,000 people a year from Perth to the Busselton Margaret River Airport.

In a statement, Qantas said it was constantly reviewing its network to ensure it has “the right aircraft operating on the right routes”.

“Unfortunately, the demand for flights between Perth and Busselton has been much lower than expected and we’ve made the difficult decision to withdraw from the route,” the spokesperson said.

“QantasLink will maintain a presence in the Busselton-Margaret River region with ad hoc charter flights from Perth, alongside Jetstar’s direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne.”

The ABC understands the flights were operating with less than 20 per cent of seats sold on average.

Forward bookings over the upcoming summer tourist period were even lower, in what would typically be peak season.

The 45-minute flight, which costs $450 for a round trip, will cease on October 6.

Dunsborough-based travel agent Hello World said it had not received a single inquiry from customers interested in booking the service in the three months it had been running.

Naturaliste Cruise and Travel said just two people booked the service through them.

‘Unfortunate’: Mayor

Busselton mayor Phill Cronin said the decision to launch the new route during winter — a quieter period for tourism in the region — may have resulted in low uptake.

“I know the intrastate flights often are quite expensive and maybe don’t get as much of the patronage.”

But he said the flights to Melbourne and Sydney from Busselton were doing well and he was hopeful connections to other major cities, such as Brisbane, would start up in the near future.

At a press conference following the maiden flight, the City of Busselton’s Maxine Palmer described the new route as a powerful step in improving connectivity to the region.

“It brings with it greater choice for local travellers, new opportunities for tourism and real benefits for our retailers, hospitality providers, businesses, event organisers and our vibrant creative industries,” she said.

“With up to 31,000 seats expected annually between Perth and Busselton, the opportunities for our region to grow, showcase its strengths and shine on a bigger stage have never been stronger.”

At the time, a Qantas spokesman said the new route was an “incredible” opportunity for the airline.

“Perth is rapidly becoming a huge international connection point and this will bring it closer to Busselton, which is really exciting,” he said.

‘Commercial decision’

The WA government had planned to financially back the new service through its $75 million Aviation Recovery Fund, but no money was paid out.

“This is a commercial decision made by Qantas following an operational review,” a state government spokesperson said.

“The region is also easily accessible by road, with travel into the South West from Perth made faster with the recent opening of the Wilman Wadandi Highway.”

The highway, which opened in December, was expected to shave up to 18 minutes off the two-and-a-half drive from Perth to Busselton.

The decision would not impact Jetstar flights between Busselton and Melbourne to Sydney.

The spokesperson said the Cook government was committed to ensuring the region “remains one of WA’s most iconic visitor destinations” and would continue to explore new opportunities to stimulate tourism in the area.