Regional airline mogul and Jetgo managing director Paul Bredereck believes the airline will increase passenger numbers between Wagga and Brisbane by 60 per cent by August.

Close to 600 passengers have used the service since the maiden flight on February 13.

Mr Bredereck is chasing 1000 passengers a month within six months, although he expects demand to dip between now and then.

“Usually there’s a rush in the first month, then we a see slight softening for next couple of months before a gradual build-up by the six-month mark,” he said.

“The rush at the start is mainly due to people who take the opportunity to see relatives, which tapers off.

“But we took Albury from four flights a week to six and we’ll take Wagga from three flights to five and eventually six or seven.”

Mr Bredereck was thrilled with the feedback he’s been fielding from satisfied customers, including one Brisbane local who has made a sizeable investment in Wagga on the back of direct flights.

“I met one man on one of the flights who’d bought a house in Wagga now there’s direct flights,” he said.

“As you can imagine, he made me promise to keep the service going.”

The state government has pledged $4 million to upgrade the tarmac at Wagga airport, which will increase the frequency with which planes can land.

The terminal itself – used by 400,000 passengers per year  – will cater to increased demand with a further $2 million set to bring the much-maligned baggage claim undercover and feature a bigger cafe, more seats in waiting areas and a new tourism information booth.

Jetgo has been paying Wagga council an extra $1.10 per passenger since March 1 after a controversial airport tax hike was ushered in to pay for the facility, however Mr Bredereck thinks his airline’s increasingly regular service will effectively reduce the cost of running the airport.

“We’re putting more people through security screening, which dilutes the cost for everybody and makes it cheaper for Qantas Link,” he said.

“Council is making a little bit more from it car park and the cafe vendor is selling a few more coffees.”

Jetgo’s business model is based on the competitive advantage of operating jets with longer range than existing turbo-propeller carriers to carve out new markets, rather than going head-to-head with the likes of QantasLink and Regional Express. 

The cheapest flight costs $197 one way.