Flight numbers will now be reduced, and larger aircraft will be used to maintain capacity.

QantasLink chief operating officer Jenny Chamberlain said a combination of factors had meant flights to and from Armidale were being consistently delayed.

“This has resulted in cancellations and delays in parts of our regional network,” Ms Chamberlain said.

“Because our network is interconnected, this has had a knock-on effect to several ports including Armidale.”

Aircraft maintenance is taking longer than expected and reserve flight crew pilots are tied up with training in one of the largest intakes of new pilots.

QantasLink has seen an increased level of cancellations in flights if several pilots call in sick on any given day.

”These are temporary issues but we’re very conscious of the impact of delays on our passengers,” Ms Chamberlain said.

In Armidale, some Q300 aircraft will replace some Q200 aircraft – with an additional 14 seats on every flight.

The changes are expected to remain in place until late March 2018.

A spokesperson for QantasLink said peak flight times will remain in place.