Jetstar announces more services from Sydney and Melbourne

Jetstar has announced that it will introduce more services from its major domestic hubs of Sydney and Melbourne commencing 26 October 2008 including extra weekly flights to the Gold Coast, Ballina Byron and Hobart.

Jetstar Group General Manager Commercial Bruce Buchanan said the airline was committed to sustainably grow its domestic operations by offering every day low fare flights in even greater volumes into some of its key leisure destinations.

The value based carrier’s growing A320 fleet and additional A321 flights will support the extra services as part of its newly published Northern Winter flight schedule that coincides with approaching Christmas and New Year holidays.

“Our new schedule, to come into effect on 26 October 2008, includes growing our Melbourne-Ballina Byron frequencies to a daily service, expanding Sydney-Hobart services to double daily and offering greater seat capacity to Jetstar’s Melbourne-Townsville direct service,” Mr Buchanan said.

“Jetstar’s largest leisure market – the Gold Coast – will continue to be expanded with our direct services moving to up to 10 times daily from Sydney and six times daily from Melbourne, with a combination of A320 and A321 operations.

“Some of our primary flying markets within Queensland and northern New South Wales will benefit to the tune of thousands of extra domestic seats each week through Jetstar’s latest domestic flight schedule.”

Jetstar will increase seat capacity on the Melbourne-Townsville route by almost 20 per cent by upgrading to a 210 seat Airbus A321 on the airline’s existing three times A320 weekly service.

The airline will grow Melbourne-Ballina Byron and Sydney-Hobart services by more than 1400 and 1000 weekly seats respectively, whilst further expanding capacity to the Gold Coast now served directly by Jetstar from four interstate markets.

In other network developments, Jetstar’s twice daily Melbourne-Perth operations, which included a daily Melbourne Avalon-Perth service will be consolidated at Melbourne Airport from 26 October 2008.

Jetstar will maintain existing levels of daily services from Melbourne Avalon Airport by offering an additional Sydney-Melbourne Avalon service now expanding to 7 times daily.

Mr Buchanan said the increased capacity from Melbourne to Ballina Byron and Townsville reflected Jetstar’s response to the existing and projected demand of the two developing destinations.

“Since Jetstar commenced its domestic services in 2004, more than 29 million people have flown with our airline. We’re committed to continuing to offer the lowest fares in the market, and this is demonstrated by these services, with web fares starting from as low as $69 one-way,” Mr Buchanan said.

As approved by the Qantas Group Board, Jetstar’s narrow body operations will expand by an order of up to 108 aircraft including 68 A320 / A321 aircraft plus 40 options and purchase rights into the next decade.

Increased Jetstar domestic services to be introduced from 26 October 2008 include:

Jetstar’s Northern Winter schedule is now available at www.jetstar.com.

*JetSaver Light one-way fare

A Report by the Mole