Qantas has reduced economy fares for Alice Springs residents flying between Adelaide and the town by 20 per cent, the company said, with the airline promising a maximum average total cost of $800 for both legs.

QantasLink chief executive officer John Gissing said in a statement it was the first time the airline had included an interstate route in its discounted fares program.

While there was no time frame put on the deal, he said and fare levels will be reviewed periodically to consider inflation or other cost increases, and the cost does not include airport fees, security and charges and GST.

The discount program is also not available for sale fares.

“Individually, a resident can use the discount on up to 12 return trips for personal travel annually,” he said.

“This gives Alice Springs locals more choices if they need to travel to see family and friends or access services. Importantly, residents will have access to these discounted fares during peak travel periods or when they need to make a last-minute booking for things like urgent medical appointments.”

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford told the NT News his organisation had been advocating on behalf of residents with Qantas about reduced fares for months.

“Getting in and out of any regional community is critical and airfares are always hotly discussed by locals and it’s really good Qantas has listened to the concerns of the Alice Springs community.

“We said to Qantas that Alice Springs naturally gravitates to South Australia for health or education or even just to get away on a long weekend.

“Having a resident fare and getting people down to Adelaide more cheaply is great for the community and strikes at the liveability of the town.

“We’ve had a lot of challenges over last few years and here’s good news to end 2022.

“The big thing to reinforce is it’s 20 per cent off economy fares which is going to mean a significant discount for people travelling to both Darwin and Adelaide. This is great news for our town.