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Chapter 4 | Access to regional air servicesMost of the UC/Ls that were located beyond the assumed access distance to regularscheduled air services across the states and territories had a population size of lessthan 2000 people. Victoria had the highest number of small UC/Ls (with a populationsize of less than 2000 people) that were located beyond the assumed access distance.It also had the highest medium UC/Ls (with a population size between 2000 and20 000) that were located beyond the assumed access distance. Other small UC/Lslocated beyond the assumed access distance were sparsely scattered across NewSouth Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.Based on the access distance of 120 kmFigure 4.21 is based on the assumed access distance of 120 km to some form of regularscheduled air services, regardless of the airport size.Based on the assumed access distance of 120 km to only one airport with regularscheduled air services, 1490 UC/Ls (87.2 per cent) were located within the assumedaccess distance and 219 UC/Ls (12.8 per cent) were located beyond the assumedaccess distance (Table 4.19). Of the 219 UC/Ls located beyond the assumed accessdistance, 184 UC/Ls (10.8 per cent) were in a population size of less than 2000 people,33 UC/Ls (2 per cent) were in population size between 2000 and 20 000 people and 2UC/Ls (0.1 per cent) were in a population size between 20 000 and 100 000 people.Under the assumption, a total of 16.7 million people (98 per cent) lived within theassumed access distance to regular scheduled air services (Table 4.19). Of the remaining336 000 people living beyond the assumed access distance to regular scheduled airservices, close to 113 000 people (0.6 per cent) lived in small communities of lessthan 2000 people, 141 000 people (0.8 per cent) lived in communities of 2000 to 20 000people and 81 000 people (0.5 per cent) lived in communities between 20 000 to100 000 people.It is expected that the number of UC/Ls located within the assumed access distance toregular scheduled air services is higher under the assumed access distance of 120 kmthan the assumed access distance of 40 km/120 km. This is due to the geographicalcoverage of a 120 km circular buffer being greater than a 40 km circular buffer.As a result of changing the assumed access distance from 40 km/120 km to just120 km, 95 UC/Ls with a population size of less than 2000 people shifted from beyondto within the access distance to regular scheduled air services. Another 48 UC/Ls witha population size between 2000 and 20 000 people moved from beyond to within theaccess distance to regular scheduled air services.Similarly, most of the decline in the number of UC/Ls located beyond theassumed access distance of 120 km across states and territories were due to theshift of UC/Ls with less than 2000 people from beyond to within the assumedaccess distance (Table 4.20). The shift is most prominent in Victoria.133