“Airnorth will operate the new service three times per week out of T3 and will provide a new connection between Western Australia and the Northern Territory,” said Perth Airport’s chief commercial and aviation officer Kate Holsgrove.

“Interstate visitation into Western Australia is an important component for our tourism sector and we are delighted to connect Perth and Western Australia to Alice Springs.

“The new route is supported by Perth Airport and the WA Government, and we thank the Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti for the Government’s continued commitment to growing aviation connections into Western Australia.”

Airnorth’s E170s seat up to 76 passengers, with airline CEO Daniel Bowden saying the route, first announced in December, will add almost 24,000 seats between Perth and Alice Springs every year.

“The new route offers customers more connectivity between Western Australia and the Northern Territory, just in time for the highly anticipated dry season,” he said.

WA Tourism Minister Rita Saffioti said encouraging more inbound domestic and international connections for the state is a “key priority” for the Government.

“Introducing new domestic services between highly sought-after interstate tourism spots such as Perth and Alice Springs opens up additional opportunities for us to entice visitors from other parts of the country,” she said.

“The WA Government is proud to work with Perth Airport and Airnorth to increase aviation connectivity between the Northen Territory and Western Australia.”

The Perth route adds to Airnorth’s existing services from Alice Springs to Darwin, Katherine and Tennant Creek. This is the first time any airline has connected Alice Springs non-stop to Perth since the end of a Qantas route in 2022.