Regional Capitals Australia and the Australian Airports Association have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding amid two major federal inquiries into the future of regional air services.
Regional Capitals Australia, of which Armidale Regional Council is a member, and Australian Airports Association said the agreement commits both organisations to work together on evidence-based advocacy for more equitable airfares, improved connectivity and sustainable regional airports.
With both a Productivity Commission inquiry and a Senate inquiry examining regional aviation, the organisations said 2026 represents a critical moment for shaping the long-term future of air services outside capital cities.
RCA Chair and Mayor of Dubbo Regional Council, Josh Black, said the inquiries provided a rare opportunity to put regional communities at the centre of national aviation policy.
“Regional airports are the lifeblood of regional communities – critical to health, education, tourism, trade and disaster response and resilience,” Cr Black said.
“Yet the financial viability of regional airports is constantly under threat, with sustainability often propped up by local government rates rather than state of federal funding sources.”
Cr Black said regional residents were bearing a double burden.
“Regional communities are paying not only higher average airfares but also for the costs of keeping airports open through their local rates,” he said.
“Decisions made this year will likely shape the next decade, determining whether regional air services become more reliable, more equitable and more future-ready – or whether the current fragile state continues.”
AAA Chief Executive Officer Simon Westaway said the MOU formalises a shared commitment at a crucial time for the sector.
“Regional airports are critical national infrastructure, but many are operating under intense financial pressure,” Mr Westaway said.
“This MOU recognises that airports and the communities they serve are facing the same structural challenges – including high regulatory costs, ageing infrastructure and limited access to sustainable funding.”
Mr Westaway said closer collaboration between the two organisations would strengthen the case to government.
“By working closely with Regional Capitals Australia, we can bring together airport-level evidence and regional community impacts to make a stronger, more credible case to government at a time when major policy decisions are being made.”
The agreement builds on a jointly commissioned Regional Airports Survey, led by the Australian Airports Association in partnership with Regional Capitals Australia, which is being distributed to regional airports this week.
Mr Westaway said the federal inquiries offer a rare chance to take a system-wide view of regional aviation.
“If we want affordable, reliable air services for regional Australia, we need to ensure airports are financially viable and appropriately supported to deliver the services communities rely on,” he said.
Under the MOU, RCA and the AAA will work together to progress shared research, policy and advocacy priorities, including securing the viability of regional air routes, establishing recurrent federal funding for regional airports, and addressing inequitable security requirements that impose city-level costs on low-risk regional facilities.
“We need a strong voice to ensure the viability of regional aviation so that the millions of Australians living beyond the state capitals, both today and those in the future, have equitable access to air travel and the liveability it enables,” Cr Black said.
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