Outback Air Race Deferred Due To COVID

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This post is courtesy of Outback Air Race.

The Outback Air Race raises much needed funds for the Royal Flying Doctor Service with over $3.1m being donated from this event since it began in 1996. It is Australia’s most successful and enduring Air Safari, and in 2018 this volunteer run event was successful in several categories at the Australian Event Awards.

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Full event details are available on the event website, www.outbackairrace.com.au.

This triennial event was due to commence in Darwin on the 30th August 2021 and participants would have spent the next 13 days flying to Cooinda, Adels Grove, Karumba, Undara, Shute Harbour, Gladstone, Roma and Goondiwindi, before concluding in Coffs Harbour on the 12th September.

With risk management such a crucial element of the event to ensure the safety of participants and all stakeholders, the Race Committee has decided to defer the Outback Air Race start for one year, to August 2022.

Race Manager, Stuart Payne said, “We are still seeing ongoing imposition of lockdowns and other restrictions in response to COVID related risks. For an event such as ours, held in remote areas with accommodation booked in specific places for only specific dates, any delays associated with travel restrictions would result in the need to cancel the event, and substantial inconvenience and unbudgeted costs for participants and the event. Our committee has decided that our ability to manage these risks in the current environment is just too compromised to allow us to responsibly continue per our original schedule.”

Mr Payne explained that the event, now to be held in August 2022, will follow the same route as planned, and that effectively the only change is the dates. It is anticipated that with the national vaccination roll out, that the COVID environment will be very much improved by August 2022, allowing the event to proceed with confidence.

2021 registrants can withdraw and receive a full refund, or roll their entry over to the re-scheduled event. So far, all responses from people registered have been in favour of rolling over to the 2022 event, which is seen as a vote of confidence in the air race.

Please contact Race Manager Stuart Payne at [email protected] or phone 0409 397139 for more information.

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