A basic flight service will be reinstated at Armidale Regional Airport from next week.
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The Department of Infrastructure and Transport has confirmed Armidale will be serviced by Qantas for two flights per week, for a period of eight weeks to begin with.
It has been made possible with support from the federal government, which is underwriting the cost of airlines operating a "minimum domestic network servicing the most critical metropolitan and regional routes".
The decision came after all carriers that had been providing regular passenger services to Armidale Regional Airport suspended their flights earlier this month, leaving the region without any air passenger service.
The airline had been running flights with a drastic decline in passenger numbers before they suspended services.
The federal government has agreed to underwrite a domestic and regional routes to the tune of $165 million, Member for New England Barnaby Joyce said on Friday.
"I went into direct negotiations with Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce to maintain flights to Armidale and Tamworth," he said.
"It will be vastly reduced, but it keeps us in connection with an aerial route to Sydney.
"Everything is a hard game at the moment."
A statement from Armidale Regional Council said the federal government's support for a basic service acknowledged the need to continue essential passenger travel and freight around the country, despite the country being in lockdown to control the spread of the Coronavirus.
Mayor Simon Murray said he welcomed the announcement of a short-term rescue package for regional aviation.
"We have repeatedly said that flights are crucial to the people of Armidale - for work, medical appointments and business."
He said while it is a long way from the restoration of normal service at Armidale's Regional Airport, where approximately 131,000 passengers pass through each year, the rescue package was welcomed.
"I'd like to acknowledge our Federal Member Barnaby Joyce for his advocacy to help make this happen. We are waiting to hear from local Qantas staff when these flights are likely to be timed but this is a great break through," Cr Murray said.
"Armidale Regional Council will continue to work with government and carriers to maintain this essential connectivity. This gives our community the basis for a resumption of full services once we come out of travel restrictions.
"We're confident air services to this region will be restored once the crisis has passed. But in the meantime, this temporary lifeline is invaluable in protecting the welfare of our community and helping to minimise the impacts the COVID-19 crisis will inevitably have on our economy."
