FlyPelican to launch Canberra-Port Macquarie flights

Regional airline FlyPelican will expand its network out of the national capital with new non-stop flights between Canberra and Port Macquarie from November 1.

Served by the 19-seat Jetstream 32 turboprop, the route will operate twice per week, with launch fares starting at $149 one-way.

“The initial twice weekly services will be convenient for the leisure and business traveller,” says FlyPelican CEO Marty Hawley, who also claims that the new non-stop route will “reduce the travel time by many hours.”

However, with FlyPelican’s non-stop service scheduled at 1hr 40min, and one-stop QantasLink flights from Canberra to Port Macquarie via Sydney taking around three hours including transit time, the time saving is more realistically 80 minutes in each direction.

Here’s the FlyPelican flight schedule, which varies by day of the week.

While FlyPelican doesn’t operate a frequent flyer program of its own, travellers booked on eligible fares can earn Virgin Australia Velocity Points, although not status credits.

Pelican Saver fares provide one Velocity Point per dollar spent; Pelican Flyer tickets earn 1.5 Velocity Points per $1 spent; Pelican Corporate bookings net 1.75 Velocity Points per $1 spent, and Pelican Flexible reservations unlock 2 Velocity Points per $1 spent.

Port Macquarie will be the third destination served by FlyPelican out of Canberra – joining Ballina and Newcastle – and its ninth overall.

The news follows Virgin Australia's exit from the Sydney-Port Macquarie route, as part of a broader restructure of its regional network.

Read: Virgin Australia scraps regional routes across NSW, VIC, QLD, NT

Chris C.

Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.