The area has the lot, with a beauty and a range of attractions that would be the envy of many other parts of Australia.

The alpine region draws snow bunnies in the winter months.

And it still has plenty to offer to outdoors lovers when it heats up, especially hiking and mountain bike riding.

Down in the valleys there’s the wineries and, of course, the mighty Murray River and Lake Hume.

The centre of it all undoubtedly is the vibrant, cultural cities of Albury-Wodonga, with many pretty historic towns close by – Beechworth and Yackandandah to name just a couple.

While the region’s economic strength is diverse, especially with large contributions from education, health and defence, tourism will always be a major money spinner.

All of those reasons are the backbone to why Albury has such a busy airport, with hundreds of thousands of people passing through it every year.

Virgin, Rex and Qantas have a plethora of daily flights to Melbourne and Sydney, so the airport is constantly full of travellers.

It’s no wonder then that the Albury Council is just about to spend another $4.7 million on upgrading the facility.

And for the very same reason, it’s no wonder another airline has identified the opportunity the region presents by putting on new services.

Family-run airline Jetgo though is adding even greater diversity for the travelling public by opening up the Brisbane market.

Managing director Paul Bredereck has announced that Jetgo will provide flights between the two cities over four days every week from late June.

And because the 36-seater Embraer ERJ-135LR jets are 50 to 60 per cent faster than the turboprop aircraft now operating out of Albury, the flights will take just 90 minutes.

And with one-way fares as low as $179, it will be an affordable option for business travellers or for Gold Coast-bound families wanting to avoid the hassle of having to catch a connecting flight in Sydney.

But a bigger winner for the region will be the ability of people from the Sunshine State to take a hassle-free direct flight to the Border in order to get to the snowfields.

All round this is a tremendous win for the region. We congratulate Jetgo for taking the step and look forward to the service’s future expansion.