Jetstar has launched significant growth in New Zealand domestic and transtasman flights and is poised to announce more. Chief executive of Jetstar Group, Stephanie Tully, said announcements on two more transtasman leisure routes would come soon following today’s announcement of Auckland-Sunshine Coast and Christchurch-Cairns flights. The airline is part of Qantas which has been expanding aggressively into New Zealand during the past year.
Jetstar today announced it will expand domestic flying on its main trunk routes as it adds an eighth plane to its New Zealand-based fleet. Around 240,000 more seats will be added to its transtasman and domestic network per year and it says more will be on the way. It is the first time in 10 years a new jet has been added to the Jetstar fleet here.
Extra capacity in the market should bring down fares, Tully said. “The rule of thumb is that with more capacity prices should come down. I think we’re really proud of that role here.
” Jetstar has been operating domestic flights in New Zealand for 15 years, including nearly four years of regional services until the the unprofitable routes were cut in 2019. Jetstar’s main-trunk flying was profitable, although this hasn’t always been the case, Tully said. While domestic demand for travel by businesses and government agencies was soft - badly affecting Air New Zealand - the leisure market was holding up.
Because Jetstar targets the “price-sensitive” segment of the market, it was also ge.
