That ICPA (Aust) advocate for, and work collaboratively with, airlines servicing remote and regional areas to develop and implement dedicated student airfares that support equitable access to education for geographically isolated students.
Families in remote and regional areas are frequently faced with substantial travel costs when students must fly between home and their boarding school or tertiary institution. Current one-way airfares from Adelaide can cost approximately $190–$220 to Port Lincoln, $200–$270 to Whyalla, and $220–$270 to Ceduna, with fares often increasing significantly during peak travel periods. Families travelling to and from communities such as Roxby Downs and Coober Pedy can also face considerable costs, particularly where flight availability is limited and alternative travel options involve lengthy road journeys. These expenses quickly accumulate throughout the year as students travel home during school holidays, long weekends, exeats, family events and emergencies.
Introducing a consistent and affordable student airfare would help alleviate these costs and ensure students have equitable access to educational opportunities, regardless of their geographic location.
While families living in geographically isolated areas accept that students may need to leave home to access secondary or tertiary education, this should not mean that regular family contact becomes financially out of reach. Maintaining strong family connections is vital for the mental health and wellbeing of both students and their families. Affordable airfares would enable students to return home more regularly and allow families to remain actively involved in their children's lives throughout the year.
Affordable travel is also important to ensure students and their families can attend significant family milestones and events, including birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, funerals and other important occasions. Geographic isolation should not prevent families from being together during these important moments.
A dedicated student airfare would help reduce the financial burden on families, support the wellbeing of geographically isolated students, strengthen family connections and promote equitable access to education for all students, regardless of where they live.
