Norfolk Island's Chief Minister, Hon Geoff Gardner MLA, has announced that an agreement in principle has been reached for air services between Norfolk Island and the Australian mainland for the next 12 months.

Mr Gardner said since the collapse last Friday of Norfolk Island's only air link to Australia , Norfolk Jet Express, the Government has been involved in “intensive discussions to ensure continued availability of airline services to and from Australia .”

“We greatly value the contribution of tourism from Australia , and I am pleased to announce the details of arrangements which are now in place,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that for the next week, flight schedules would be exactly the same as at present, with flights to and from Brisbane and Sydney on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. All flights will be under charter from Alliance Airlines but passengers holding Qantas and Norfolk Jet tickets are able to travel on these services.

New schedules and services will commence on Saturday June 18 and will be in place for the next 12 months. Services planned are for each Saturday and Wednesday using Boeing 737 aircraft under charter from Air Nauru . The Chief Minister said the schedule may be subject to future revision depending on ticket demand; notice will be given to any proposed changes.

It is proposed that Qantas and travel agents would undertake ticketing, and can expect full ticketing services to be available by commencement of business on June 9.

Mr Gardner said that Qantas would notify holders of current Qantas tickets to advise of any flight changes and would be able to answer customer queries, but other ticket holders and anyone seeking information can also contact Qantas or travel agents. Norfolk Island Tourist Bureau will also continue to operate its hotline on (+ 6723) 23909.

The Chief Minister said it was ‘heartening' that visitors continued to travel to Norfolk Island over the past week, despite uncertainty over flights to and from Australia .

“We are grateful to our new visitors and our old friends for showing confidence in Norfolk Island as a holiday destination”, Mr Gardner said.

“We believe that we offer a magnificent range of experiences for our visitors including spectacular scenery, a beautifully preserved convict-era settlement, cultural and historical tours, fine dining, excellent shopping, a wide range of tours and above all unequalled hospitality. I hope that the revised flight schedules announced today will allow for many more Australians to take the opportunity to join us in Norfolk Island for a relaxed and enjoyable holiday”.