Virgin Blue offers 1 cent flights

The cheapest airfares in Australia have gone on sale tonight, with budget airline Virgin Blue offering 1 cent flights out of Sydney.

To celebrate new daily services between Sydney and Port Macquarie, and Sydney and Albury, the budget carrier will offer one-way fares in an internet-only sale for just one cent each – all inclusive.

The offer will apply to 1,000 tickets, with Sydney and Port Macquarie tickets going on sale tonight at 8pm. Sydney and Albury seats are up for grabs tomorrow at 8pm, with both sales lasting four hours or until the tickets are sold out.

The one cent fares include taxes and surcharges that would normally cost $41.73.

“It will be first come, first served. There are no credit card charges, landing fees or taxes. Virgin Blue is absorbing them all,” said Virgin Blue spokeswoman Heather Jeffery.

“We are not expecting any great issues because we have planned in advance. It’s a bit of fun for the promotion of new destinations on our network, but once they are gone, they’re gone.”

This is the lowest air fare ever offered in the domestic aviation market, said Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey.

While both routes are now up and running, the first cheap-fare flight is scheduled to depart Sydney at 11.35am on February 6 and arrive in Port Macquarie at 12.30pm.

The travel period would last until June 30, 2008, Virgin said.

Virgin Blue will be the first operator to fly jet aircraft into Port Macquarie.

The airport has been extended to accommodate the new service, with the addition of new security facilities.

Meanwhile, Virgin Blue today returned to the Sydney-Canberra air route after an absence of two-and-a-half years, vowing to restore the spirit of competition on the busy route.

The service has been monopolised by Qantas, despite attempts by Virgin Blue and Rex Regional Express to make inroads.

“Canberra-Sydney is one of the last remaining monopoly routes in this country,” Godfrey said in a statement, adding that the move would restore “fair competition”.

The budget airline will operate eight daily flights, with the first lifting off this morning at 6.25am.