North Queensland CEO Greg Tonner has asked airlines to support the region and offer fair ticket prices as Cowboys fans scramble for flights from Townsville to Sydney for Sunday's NRL grand final against Melbourne.
Cowboys supporters have complained of being fleeced with return flights costing as much as $1000 as airlines try to find extra scheduled services for the surge in demand.
Tonner said the Cowboys were working with Virgin and Alliance Airlines to provide more charter services after already organising four additional flights to Sydney.
Qantas are expected to provide extra direct flight services to Sydney this week, in addition to their six daily Townsville-Brisbane services with connections to Sydney.
While more flights look set to be on offer, Tonner hoped airlines did not take advantage of the overwhelming demand.
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Return airfares between Townsville and Sydney can normally be purchased for around $500.
"We are just trying to encourage more flights down there -- there is demand," Tonner told AAP.
"But obviously it has to be fair.
"It doesn't have to be super cheap but it can't be $800 or $1000 each way.
"It would be nice to see the airlines really support the region."
The cheapest return flight to Sydney from Townsville on Tuesday was about $800 with some carriers charging more than $1100.
In contrast Melbourne fans would only be expected to cough up to $400 for a return trip to Sydney.
Complaints of steep fares from Cowboys fans have already reached the corridors of power in Queensland.
"To stop people from Townsville getting to the grand final is un-Australian," Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter said on Tuesday.
Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls said airlines were using diehard Cowboys fans as "cash cows".
"It is totally unacceptable and un-Australian for airlines to start price gouging North Queensland Cowboys fans simply because their team made the grand final," he told the Townsville Bulletin.
North Queensland coach Paul Green even weighed in, hinting that airlines bumped up their prices from Townsville as soon as the Cowboys made their second grand final in three years last weekend.
"It's funny how the (flight) prices seem to double once the fulltime siren sounds," he said.
"I understand they have got a business to run but it is more than coincidental that the prices rise after fulltime."
Tonner hoped their passionate Cowboys fans were rewarded with extra services to Sydney.
"The team is a channel for this region and how proud the people are of this region," he said.
"So it would be nice to see a (flight ticket) price fair for business and community up here."
But Tonner was confident North Queensland would make their presence felt at ANZ Stadium on Sunday despite the ticket price controversy.
"We will work with the state government and try to encourage our providers to make north Queensland a priority to get to the south," he said.
"It's not a cheap experience but we will be delighted to hear every voice at the stadium."
