My team has spent the past year mapping the impact of rising freight costs, technological labour shocks, and shifting consumption patterns across Australia’s regional economies. Of all the locations we studied, Lord Howe Island stood out, not because it is unstable, but because it is so finely balanced that small changes offshore are now having disproportionate effects onshore.

On Friday, 16th May, the last QantasLink flight rolled into Lord Howe at around 2.45pm piloted by senior QantasLink captains, Mark Nesbitt and Jarrod Seen. This flight marked the end of an era that began on the 1st of June, 1991, when VH-TQP an aircraft owned by Eastern Australia Airlines - arrived at Lord Howe bearing passengers, freight and mail from Sydney.

Skytrans officials, Gytis Gumuliauskas (CEO) and Richard George (Commercial Officer), made a quick visit to Lord Howe Island on the 22nd & 23rd May, to brief the Lord Howe Island Tourism Association and Island residents on Skytrans’ progress in taking over Sydney/Lord Howe RPT service from QantasLink.

Thank you for your letter of 16 May 2025.

A photo gallery of this year's Anzac Day on Lord Howe Island.

Prague Zoo Director Miroslav Bobek in a recent article explains the Prague connection: