By aviation writer Scott Mayman

The Transport Workers Union has slammed a decision close the Qantas Canberra base for pilots and flight crew in April.

About 70 staff will be impacted in Canberra and also Hobart and Mildura.

Crews flying the QantasLink fleet, based at Canberra Airport, will be impacted directly.

Transport Minister Catherine King is urging the carrier to reconsider, calling on Qantas to ensure there are no job losses or reductions in services.

The Transport Workers Union has described it as “a bad decision” that will cause life-changing effects on families.

In a statement, Qantas says the move will help the airline “better respond to disruptions and improve reliability”.