News of JetGo entering voluntary administration has rocked the Border and North East region.
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Whether you were an affected customer who had to revise travel plans at short notice or an Albury-Wodonga resident who enjoyed the luxury of having direct flights to Queensland from your backyard, the feeling was the same – disappointment.
It comes on the back of Dubbo Regional Council starting legal action against the operator regarding unpaid debt.
A hearing has been set down for later this month in the Supreme Court with Dubbo council looking to have the airline wound up, according to Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Part of what makes Albury-Wodonga and its surrounding regions so great is that we aren’t left wanting for much in this part of the world.
A key factor in this is an airport that offers direct flights to Australia’s major cities.
Quite rightly, it was lauded as a significant day when JetGo launched in Albury, meaning there was no need to change planes in Sydney en-route to Queensland from the Border.
Of course, it’s a two-way street and our proximity to the snowfields and some of the best wineries in Australia makes us an attractive proposition for Queensland residents looking for a different climate in winter.
The end result of JetGo’s troubles is that Border residents miss out on a valued service and the Border and North East misses out on tourism dollars that could have been headed our way on the eve of the official snow opening and Winery Walkabout weekends.
It’s also worth pointing out that just because a business provides a valuable service, it shouldn’t be let off the hook when it comes to paying its share.
Brisbane-based insolvency service McLeod Partners have been enlisted to look over the airline and it remains to be seen what the wash-up will be in terms of its future.
We’ve enjoyed having JetGo in our region and hope it can somehow emerge from this sorry tale to once again provide Albury-Wodonga residents with direct flights to the Sunshine State.
But it shouldn’t be at any cost.