Virgin Australia has jetted into the Red Centre with a new Adelaide-Alice-Springs-Darwin service that brings competition to this important route for both tourists and locals.

“I want to welcome Virgin Australia to Alice Springs and congratulate them on their commitment to the Territory with this new route and two new lounges,” Chief Minister Adam Giles said.

“I have been in talks with Virgin Australia for some time about expanding their Territory footprint and I’m excited to see this become a reality today.

“The added competition on this route is great news for travellers, putting downward pressure on ticket prices and expanding flight options with 1000 seats available on three return services each week.

“I urge Territorians to get behind the route and ensure this competition is here to stay.”

Flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays using Virgin Australia’s 176-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft which includes complimentary wireless in-flight entertainment for all passengers.

“Virgin Australia is offering a Business Class service on this route which will be an attractive option for corporate travellers, especially in conjunction with the new lounges in Darwin and Alice Springs,” Mr Giles said.

“The new service also allows passengers to connect onto Virgin Australia’s extensive domestic and international network.”

To celebrate the start of the new route, Virgin Australia has announced a 20 day sale in which airfares between Alice Springs and other Australian destinations any time this year will be reduced by at least 20 per cent. 

To support this effort the Territory Government is also in the midst of a month-long $250 000 Alice Springs tourism campaign called ‘Choose your own adventure’.

“We want potential visitors to see that in a three to five day trip it’s easy to choose your own adventure through the amazing Red Centre landscape,” Mr Giles said.

“It could be riding on a quad bike, touring on the back of a camel or enjoying a cool dip in a picturesque waterhole – there’s something for everyone, all within a few hours of Alice Springs.”

Visiting dignitaries and media who are in Alice Springs for the inaugural flight today have also been given a guided tour of the town and some of its amazing attractions including ANZAC Hill, the Royal Flying Doctor Service Tourism Facility and the Alice Springs Desert Park.

Channel 9’s TODAY Show is in town this week and will be broadcasting weather crosses from Alice Springs, bringing valuable national exposure.

“Tourism in Central Australia is starting on the road to recovery after some tough years under the former Labor Government,” Mr Giles said.

“The most recent domestic visitor statistics from Tourism Research Australia show that in 2014 total visitors were up 4.6 per cent in Central Australia and up 8.8 per cent in Alice Springs and MacDonnell.

“Total domestic visitor expenditure was up more than 50 per cent in both regions over the year as these extra visitors stay longer and spend more.”

“There’s still more work to do, especially in the holiday sector, and we are optimistic that Virgin Australia’s new service will help improve these figures even further.”

Media Contact: Danielle Parry 0413 081 801