Summary
- Jetstar plans to expand its route network out of Perth International Airport, offering new routes to Southeast Asian destinations in 2024.
- The airline will establish a new pilot base in Perth with at least 60 pilots and four aircraft, including the airline’s new Airbus A321LR.
- Jetstar will introduce new services connecting Perth Airport to Singapore, Phuket, and Bangkok, catering to the strong demand for low-cost travel in Western Australia.
On November 21, Jetstar announced plans to expand its route network out of Perth International Airport (PER) in Australia. The low-cost airline is set to offer several new routes to different Southeast Asian destinations. These new routes are set to begin operation in 2024.
A new base in Perth
Jetstar revealed that it intends to set up a new pilot base at the Perth Airport. The airline will position at least 60 pilots at the base and will base four aircraft as well. The airline’s newest aircraft, the Airbus A321LR, will also be stationed at the new Perth base. Per ch-aviation, the Melbourne-based airline currently operates 9 A321LRs and is expected to take delivery of another 22 of the variants in the future. It is also expected to take delivery of 15 A321XLR variants in the future. The new base will allow Jetstar to continue to operate both domestic and international flights in Western Australia.
Photo: Jetstar
The Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar Group, Stephanie Tully, spoke about the new Perth base. Tully stated,
“This is a huge investment in our Perth operations. Having pilots and aircraft based in the West gives us the ability to add hundreds of thousands more low-cost seats to exciting new destinations across both our international and domestic network.”
New services to Southeast Asia
Jetstar will begin flying to three new destinations in late 2024. The airline will begin services connecting Perth Airport to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), Phuket International Airport (HKT), and Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok, Thailand. These new services are in support of Western Australia’s strong demand for low-cost routes. In the past year alone, Jetstar has flown 400,000 passengers from Perth to Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali, Indonesia, another Southeast Asian destination.
Tully also spoke about the new services, saying,
“These three new routes will open up low-fare travel right across Southeast Asia for our west-coast customers, including easy connections via Singapore onto Jetstar Asia’s extensive network to 13 destinations throughout Asia.”
Other new services
In addition to expanding its route network in Southeast Asia, Jetstar has recently added several other routes across the world. In June, Jetstar began a nonstop service from Sydney International Airport (SYD) to Rarotonga International Airport (RAR) in the Cook Islands. The route, which is offered three times a week, is flown by the airline’s Airbus A321LRs. It has been such a successful route since its inception that the airline will be adding a fourth weekly service beginning in early 2024.
Photo: Jetstar
Jetstar is also set to begin a nonstop service from Sydney to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport (KIX) in early 2024. On April 1, the airline will begin a service three times per week. It will also utilize its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft for this service. This will allow the airline to offer 100,000 seats annually on this route.
Later in 2024, Jetstar will also begin service to Hervey Bay (HVB) and Busselton Margaret River Airport (MQZ) from Melbourne Airport (MEL). These new routes are set to begin in June and March respectively and will be operated by the airline’s Airbus A320-200s.