Sales and marketing manager at FSA, Pauline Cox was in Merimbula last week investigating opportunities to expand the airline’s business and said she had been talking to apartment owners, the Pambula Merimbula Golf Club, Sapphire Coast Turf Club and travel agents.

A deal has already been struck with Tuscany Apartments on Fishpen where manager, Neil Bourke confirmed that a seven-night package for two people, including transfers to and from the airport and flights with FSA would cost $1260 during February and March.

There has been some initial discussion too with the Merimbula Jazz Festival committee about the possibility of providing special flights for Melbourne musicians attending the festival.

Ms Cox was upbeat about the fledgling airline’s prospects and said that they had been busy over the Christmas and New Year period.

While acknowledging that they were starting from a low base, Ms Cox said that numbers using the service between Essendon and Merimbula, had doubled. 

“We’re looking at taking on another aircraft. We have already taken on two new pilots and once the numbers grow we will put on extra services,” Ms Cox said.

The additional aircraft would be another 19-seater Beechcraft, the same as the company is currently using for the Melbourne to Merimbula run.

After a couple of false starts, Free Spirit Airlines started its scheduled service between Melbourne’s Essendon airport and Merimbula, landing its first flight on Monday, November 2, 2015. The cost of flights from Merimbula has been a major bone of contention for many in the community and Ms Cox said she believed it had been a positive experience to have competition.

Free Spirit Airlines is currently operating to and from Merimbula three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Regional Express Airlines (Rex) runs a service every day between Merimbula and Melbourne with two flights on Fridays.

Ultimately the success or failure of the route, which has about 17,000 passengers a year, will be about customer take up.