This is a cut and paste from the relevant page on
www.dpi.wa.gov.au
The Department of Transport facilitates the provision of regular public transport (RPT) air services within Western Australia. The Minister for Transport has powers under the Transport Coordination Act 1966 to licence aircraft and place conditions on licences to control where and when airlines may fly within the State. The powers do not apply to interstate or international air services.
The following companies, listed in alphabetical order, provide regular public transport air services within Western Australia:
Air North Services Broome and Kununurra
Cobham Aviation Services Perth, Christmas Island, Cocos Islands and Kambalda
Golden Eagle Airlines
Services Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek
Qantaslink Services Perth, Broome, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, Newman, Paraburdoo and Port Hedland
Skippers Aviation
Services Perth, Laverton, Leinster, Leonora, Meekatharra, Mt Magnet and Wiluna
Skywest
Services Perth, Albany, Broome, Carnarvon, Esperance, Exmouth, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, Monkey Mia, Newman, Paraburdoo and Port Hedland
Strategic (formerly Ozjet) Services Perth and Derby
Virgin Blue Services Perth, Broome, Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, Newman and Port Hedland.
The current system of intrastate regular passenger transport (RPT) air services consists of a combination of:
Deregulated air services; and
Regulated air services.
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Deregulated air services
Competition is permitted on deregulated routes. There are eight deregulated RPT routes in Western Australia that connect Perth with Broome, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda, Karratha, Kununurra, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland and Newman. Competition is therefore permitted on these routes. The Perth to Ravensthorpe route is also deregulated, but since the closure of an adjacent mine, the service no longer operates.
Regulated air services
Competition is not permitted on regulated routes. Regulated routes are approved by the Minister for Transport and consist of routes where there are insufficient passengers to support more than one airline. There are three types of regulated air service operating in Western Australia:
Networks where services to a number of airports are limited to one airline without any Government subsidy;
Protected route where one airline provides a service to and from one airport without any Government subsidy; and
Subsidised air service where one airline provides a service that is subsidised by the Government.
Networks: There are two Network arrangements in Western Australia. The licences to operate the Networks were awarded following a competitive tender process. Services commenced on 1 January 2006 and are approved to operate until 30 June 2010. Under the Transport Coordination Regulations 1985, the airlines are required to provide comprehensive statistics to the Department each month so that service levels may be monitored.
Skippers Aviation operates the Northern Goldfields Network, which includes Laverton, Leinster, Leonora, Meekatharra, Mt Magnet and Wiluna.
Skywest Airlines operates the Coastal Network, which includes Albany, Carnarvon, Esperance, Geraldton, Kalbarri, Learmonth (Exmouth) and Monkey Mia (Shark Bay).
Protected route: There is one protected route between Perth and Derby (Curtin).
The Strategic Airlines Group currently operates this service through its subsidiary Ozjet and holds the licence to operate this service until 30 June 2010.
Subsidised air service: The Kimberley subsidised air service operates between Broome, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek.
Golden Eagle Airlines was awarded the licence to operate this service through a competitive tender process. The service is subsidised by the WA Government under a shortfall subsidy arrangement until 30 June 2010.
