FlyPelican says patronage is increasing, feedback is positive after six months of Bathurst-Sydney route

And Newcastle-based FlyPelican says it is always looking at "possible areas of improvement" for its various routes, including at Bathurst.

"Feedback received from passengers regarding the Bathurst to Sydney and Sydney to Bathurst services has been very positive," FlyPelican chief executive officer Marty Hawley told the Western Advocate as the company's six-month anniversary in Bathurst approaches.

"The service is seen as a quick and convenient alternative to other options such as driving or using other regional airports.

"With our flight crew and aircraft based in Bathurst, our team have become part of the community and always take on board any feedback for us to utilise to provide the required service."

It was announced in August last year that FlyPelican would be taking over the Bathurst-Sydney route after Regional Express Airlines (Rex) withdrew its service at the end of June.

Rex's deputy chairman, John Sharp, had said the decision to stop servicing the Bathurst-Sydney route (along with Grafton and Lismore routes) was made for financial reasons.

"Rex has faithfully serviced most of these routes for 20 years and some of them for more than 30 years by Rex's predecessor Kendell and Hazelton," he said in May last year.

"So it is with a really heavy heart that we have to announce the cessation of services in an effort to improve Rex's financial performance."

FlyPelican's flights to and from Bathurst started on September 5.

"After initially launching the route, patronage was low for the first few months," Mr Hawley told the Advocate.

"As awareness of the flights continues to grow, patronage on the services has recently started to increase, especially around local events in Bathurst.

"We look forward to patronage continuing to grow as more people learn about our services and its convenience."

The Advocate also asked Mr Hawley if there had been any adjustments or changes made to the Bathurst-Sydney service since the initial flight in September last year.

"Since October 31, FlyPelican increased presence on the route to operate twice daily Monday to Friday in addition to a Sunday service providing the option for passengers to conduct day trip travel to Sydney and greater options for regional, domestic and international connections," he said.

"FlyPelican continuously reviews our services and looks at possible areas of improvement."

FlyPelican also flies between Mudgee and Sydney and has, in the past, linked Dubbo and Ballina on the Far North Coast.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: