The reliability of flights between Canberra and Sydney has improved significantly since the route topped the nation for cancellations last year, government statistics reveal.
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In October last year, the Canberra to Sydney route had the worst cancellation rate in Australia, with 8.1 per cent of flights between the cities canned.
The federal government’s domestic airline performance report for April showed this cancellation rate has since dropped 7 percentage points.
Only 1.1 per cent of flights from Canberra to Sydney were cancelled in April.
Flights from Sydney to Canberra had a slightly better cancellation rate of 1 per cent.
Both of these numbers fell below the national average of 1.2 per cent.
The figures are good news for passengers in the wake of a public bust-up between Canberra Airport and Qantas.
Earlier in May, Qantas Domestic boss Andrew David said Canberra Airport’s heavy-handed tactics were threatening its relationship with the nation’s biggest airline.
The airport had been publicly at loggerheads with Qantas for months prior, repeatedly speaking out against the high cancellation rates plaguing flights between Sydney and Canberra.
“We deal with airports around Australia and around the world, and none of them behave the way Canberra Airport does. It’s bizarre,” Mr David said.
“It’s hard to see how a company can think that attacking its biggest customer, which Qantas is, will improve matters.”
Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said it was crucial the two companies had a constructive relationship, but also important to prioritise customers.
“We want to stand up for our Canberra customers and those flying here, so they get a good quality of service,” he said.
“When we’ve had very high and concerning cancellation rates by Qantas - that are three to four times the national average - we seek a better deal and a more reliable service for our customers.”
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce recently entered the fray, likening Canberra Airport’s behaviour to a crew of Somali pirates.
“Maybe the airport should be called ‘The Canberra Pirates’ because you wouldn’t have this in Somalia,” Qantas boss Alan Joyce said at an aviation industry event in late May.
“You wouldn’t have this in other parts of the world. It is unbelievably appalling behaviour.”
In early April Mr Byron wrote to Qantas and Virgin Australia, offering $100,000 to the airline with the lowest monthly cancellation rate on the capital to Sydney route.
Neither airline accepted the proposal, although Mr Byron said flight reliability had improved in the wake of the offer.
Steps by Qantas to address cancellations had resulted in improvements, which Mr Byron acknowledged.
“We are positive about the response and we are respectful of that,” he said.
