Canberra Airport says airlines flying from the capital to Sydney should drop prices to restore passenger confidence after a spate of cancellations on the route.
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Flights between Canberra and Sydney have consistently had some of the worst cancellation rates in the country, with recent government statistics indicating a downturn in passengers flying between the cities.
Cancellations for Canberra to Sydney flights hit 4.8 per cent in November, well above the national cancellation average of 1.4 per cent of all flights.
Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the pattern of cancellations was "unacceptably high".
"We are concerned that the pattern of cancellation rates on the Canberra to Sydney route seems to now be showing up as customers choosing to use other modes of transport," he said.
"Whether they are choosing to drive or use the bus, it's hard to imagine people would find the roads in Sydney more reliable than the airlines."
Statistics from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development showed the number of passengers on Canberra to Sydney flights dropped 2.3 per cent between September 2016 and September 2017, with total passenger numbers falling from 84,600 to 82,600.
At the same time most other domestic routes had experienced an increase in passenger numbers, Mr Byron said.
"In part what is needed is an effort to reduce the cancellation rate to the national industry standard," he said.
"But also what is needed is some bargain fares on the [Canberra to Sydney] route to encourage the public to come back to using the airline."
Customers and Canberra Airport's owners have spoken out since flights between Canberra and Sydney topped the nation with an October cancellation rate of 8.1 per cent.
QantasLink chief operating officer Jenny Chamberlain has previously said improving the reliability of the airline's network had been given "the highest priority".
"Cancellations on the Canberra route improved significantly in November in comparison to the previous month," she said.
"We're seeing improvements as a result of the recent adjustments we've made to our network and schedule, and our teams remain focused on ensuring this trend continues."
