The Mackay Port Authority is continuing to lobby the airlines to provide an early morning week-day business service to Brisbane.

Qantas has announced that it will withdraw the 6 a.m. flight, when its low-cost carrier Jetstar touches down in Mackay on May 25.

Mackay Port Authority acting CEO Trevor Heard said Qantas had made a commercial decision to withdraw the 6 a.m. flight.

It would be replaced with a Jetstar service that arrived in Mackay at 7.25 a.m.—departing at 8 a.m.

“The Mackay Port Authority has spent more than $3 million dollars over the past 30 months offering Qantas and Virginblue incentives and rebates to increase services to Mackay,” Mr Heard said.

“We are doing everything we can to offer people not only choice but the best available low cost fares out of Mackay.

“I think it’s now the responsibility of the community and local leaders to lobby the airlines direct for services that suit their needs – in particular an early morning service out of Mackay.

“I understand Virgin announced on ABC radio today that it’s interested in providing the service.”

Mr Heard said the MPA had placed a new round of incentives on the table that hopefully would entice one of the airlines to continue the 6 a.m. “red eye”.

He said the incentives had led to Jetstar committing to new direct Sydney-Mackay services in July as well as increasing available seats by 45 per cent.