Jetstar shakeup a boost for Chch
Jetstar has announced a big expansion in New Zealand with new routes and extra capacity. That will include more stops in Christchurch and an additional plane operating from the city.
To mark its 15th birthday, the Australian-owned low-cost carrier has revealed it will start flying Christchurch to Cairns, and will be in competition with Air New Zealand on Auckland to Australia’s Sunshine Coast. Cheaper fares are likely to result.
Also, it will increase capacity on domestic routes, starting with Christchurch to Auckland and Auckland to Wellington, as well as adding a new aircraft in Christchurch from December. It will mean the airline will have eight Airbus A320 planes here and it’s the first time Jetstar has expanded its fleet in New Zealand in more than 10 years.
Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said the airline is “really excited to be entering such a significant period of growth”.
“Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped make travel more accessible for millions of New Zealanders and this expansion will help to unlock hundreds of thousands of low fares and more choice for our customers and provide a significant boost to tourism on both sides of the Tasman,” he said.
“Having another aircraft based in Christchurch, as well as the launch of new flights and capacity, will help establish the city as a major gateway for Jetstar in New Zealand, providing more choice and great low fares for South Island residents.”
Christchurch Airport CEO Justin Watson called the extra services a “smart decision”.
“Most of that increase will bolster services and offer more travel options in and out of Christchurch Airport, so this is a huge vote of confidence in our city. Christchurch is thriving, Jetstar’s decided to bring even more people to the party, and we couldn’t be happier to host them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Air NZ has announced the return of its seasonal Auckland to Sunshine Coast service. The national carrier will restart the flights from tomorrow.
It will operate three times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays until this October and will be using an Airbus 320neo aircraft.
As a result it will likely to soon be cheaper to lap up the sun across the Tasman as the two airlines compete for passengers to the Sunshine Coast.
House of Travel chief operating officer Brent Thomas said it was exciting news.
“Queensland is the number one destination out of New Zealand, so when you have increased capacity like this, what will happen is it will stimulate even further demand.
“Where you’ve got competition, we know we’re going to get some really good pricing. That creates the opportunity for New Zealanders to travel to what is one of the popular destinations.”
With both carriers fighting for passengers, Thomas said the airlines will try to keep their fares as low as possible. He said the routes were a sign of pre-Covid capacities coming back into the market.