Sharp Airlines has warned it will scrap flights between Melbourne and King Island from May unless governments step in with financial support.
The regional carrier confirmed it has stopped selling tickets on the route beyond April 2026.
“Like many regional air services across Australia, it requires a level of government support to remain viable,” Sharp chief executive Alistair Dorward said.
He said the airline had been raising concerns with government stakeholders for months.
“While no final decisions have been made, we have been clear in flagging that a sustainable pathway forward will require some form of government support,” he said.
The move would leave Rex Airlines as the main operator of direct Melbourne services to the Bass Strait island.
Sharp’s forward bookings now show only Tasmanian connections via Launceston and Wynyard continuing into the 2026-27 summer season.
The carrier has already scaled back King Island services since September 2025, with reduced flights continuing through the peak summer period instead of returning to normal levels.
Tourism Minister Jane Howlett said the government was disappointed by the potential cuts.
She confirmed the state had provided temporary funding to Sharp between May 2025 and April 2026 to maintain Bass Strait island services during Rex’s administration period.
“Maintaining commercially viable air services to King Island is important and we are looking at options,” she said.
Howlett said Tasmania had written to the federal government, advocating for a national approach to regional aviation.
Residents rely on the flights for medical appointments, fresh food supplies, access to education and business travel.
A senate committee hearing into regional aviation is scheduled for Wynyard later this month.
