Regional airfares force Arnhem Land bands to reject Australian shows

Managers of internationally recognised Arnhem Land bands say domestic airfares have become so expensive that Australian tours can cost more to reach than overseas performances. They warn that the pressure is forcing established groups to turn down shows and could shut emerging regional artists out before their careers develop.

An interim Productivity Commission report released during the week found that long regional and remote air routes cost 67 per cent more on average than routes between major cities. On shorter regional routes, the price per kilometre was 173 per cent higher. The report also described severely limited competition in regional aviation.

Yothu Yindi manager Alan James cited a return fare ofA$5,200 from Gove to Brisbane. He said playing in London could be cheaper to reach than an Australian capital and that the band was being priced out of the local live-music market.

Stuart Kellaway, a Yothu Yindi bassist who manages King Stingray, said the younger Arnhem Land band's recent flights to the United States cost less than domestic trips. In the previous month or so, it had declined three or four shows because airfares made them financially unworkable. He said live gigs remained one of the few substantial income sources for musicians in the streaming era.

Both managers said expensive travel was especially damaging for new groups and artists not based in a capital city. James warned that an emerging group could be out of business before becoming established. They said the number of airlines serving Arnhem Land had fallen over the course of Yothu Yindi's career.

Several airlines have recently cut Northern Territory services, leaving Darwin routes to cities including Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra served only by Qantas and its subsidiary Jetstar. Qantas said labour, airport charges and government air-traffic-control fees were increasing faster than inflation, while fuel remained comparatively expensive. It said lower fares could still be found and encouraged booking ahead where possible.

Illustrative aircraft wing over dry terrain, not a Northern Territory route or the bands' flight.