The Palaszczuk Government has further boosted funding to secure new flights to Queensland with $10 million for interstate flights.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the latest investment, part of the second stage of the Government's Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs plan, is on top of the announcement of $5 million for 16 airports to help airlines to secure intrastate flights.
"The combined $15 million program will give even greater scope to negotiate with airlines to open up the state and bring more tourists to our regions," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"Airports and aviation are crucial to our regional economies as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"More flights will help to further revive our tourism industry, support hundreds of thousands of jobs and pump millions of dollars into local businesses."
Tourism Minister Kate Jones said the aviation package would support airports to negotiate with carriers in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland to secure aviation routes to regional Queensland and into Brisbane.
"With the Roadmap pointing to interstate borders opening, this funding will help swell tourism numbers to the state," Ms Jones said.
"Our plan has already had initial success with Alliance Airlines opening up a new air route from Brisbane to the Whitsundays."
Ms Jones said the $15 million program could deliver thousands of jobs over a three-year period.
"Before COVID-19, one in 10 Queenslanders were employed in tourism," she said.
"We want to continue getting people back to work. More direct flights will help us do that."
