Bundaberg Regional Airport is currently serviced by two carriers, QantasLink and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, with the flying kangaroo predominately using Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 or de Havilland Dash 8-Q300's on the route, competing against VARA's ATR 72-500 / 600 fleet.
However, as recently announced by Virgin Australia, the airline will be withdrawing services to Bundaberg on Sunday, 16 July 2017, with Alliance Airlines taking over the route the following day with Fokker 70 jets, a smaller derivative of the popular Fokker 100.
On Wednesday, May 10, local planespotter Micah S ventured to Bundaberg Airport to capture a very rare event, three commercial turboprop aircraft parked on the ramp simultaneously - a QantasLink Bombardier Dash 8-Q400, a de Havilland Dash 8-Q300, and a Virgin Australia ATR 72-600 positioned between them.
While it is not uncommon for QantasLink and Virgin Australia to each have an aircraft overlapping at the rum city, to have a third on the tarmac provided Micah an opportunity to photograph an occasion that is unlikely to be repeated, even more so considering VARA's pending withdrawal of all turboprop operations in Queensland.
Additionally, Micah has forwarded a couple of photo's depicting Queensland Police Service (QPS) Cessna 560 Citation Ultra VH-PSU preparing to depart the rum city on Monday, May 08.
According to FlightAware, VH-PSU had a busy day of flying : Cairns - Townsville - Rockhampton - Brisbane - Bundaberg - Rockhampton - Townsville - Cairns.
All photo's contributed by Micah S