Summary
- Jetstar’s decision to introduce new Airbus A321LRs over a decade ago has allowed them to add new routes and adjust capacity to meet demand.
- The addition of nonstop flights from Melbourne to Hervey Bay and Sydney to Margaret River will boost tourism and provide convenient travel options for travelers, particularly during the peak holiday seasons.
- Jetstar is expanding its route network further, with plans to launch nonstop flights between Sydney and Brisbane to Osaka, capitalizing on the popularity of these destinations among Japanese tourists.
A wonderfully prescient decision made over a decade ago is now paying off handsomely for Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar. The regular arrival of new Airbus A321LRs means the airline has the flexibility to shift capacity around its domestic and international network and add new routes where there is unfilled demand.
A perfect route for whale watchers
Last week, Jetstar did that by announcing its first-ever nonstop flights from Melbourne to Queensland’s Hervey Bay and between Sydney and the tourist haven of Margaret River in Western Australia. The two new routes will come online in June and March and add more than 100,000 seats annually to Jetstar’s domestic schedules.
Photo: Sudpoth Sirirattanasakul | Shutterstock
Located in Southern Queensland, Hervey Bay is often referred to as the whale watching capital of the world and is a region of beautiful white sandy beaches and calm waters. It is a popular holiday choice for families and tourists alike, who are also drawn to the other parts of the surrounding Fraser Coast. Having a low-cost nonstop connection to Melbourne will certainly boost tourism, particularly in the colder winter months when Melburnians head north in their droves to find some elusive sunshine.
The route will operate from Melbourne Airport (MEL) on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 12:30 with a same day return flight from Hervey Bay Airport (HVB) landing back in Melbourne at 18:15. The new route, JQ884/885, will commence on June 20, 2024, and Jetstar is using one of its Airbus A320-200s for the service. The low-cost carrier already operates four weekly flights between Sydney and Hervey Bay, and with many Victorians now living in the area, visiting friends and family is another driver of the unfilled demand from Melbourne.
The wineries of the West beckon
Margaret River is one of Western Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, thanks mainly to the world-renowned wines produced there and its acclaimed reputation among surfers from all parts of the globe. The only drawback is that it’s a long way from the main population centers on the east coast, such as Sydney and Melbourne.
From March next year, Jetstar is bridging that divide with its first-ever direct service connecting Sydney to the Margaret River region. The route will be operated by an Airbus A320-200, with the first flight taking off on March 26, 2024, just in time for the peak easter holiday season in Australia. The return service will run three days per week and carry more than 50,000 passengers annually between Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) and Busselton Margaret River Airport (BQB).
Photo: Jetstar
CEO Stephanie Tully said Jetstar will be the only commercial airline offering direct flights between the east coast and Margaret River. In March this year, Jetstar launched nonstop flights from Melbourne to Margaret River, with Tully adding:
“Our flights from Melbourne have already been incredibly popular, and once our Sydney flights launch, we’ll be carrying well over 100,000 customers to and from this captivating region annually. Holidaymakers from Sydney will be able to fly direct to Margaret River in about five hours for as low as AU$109 ($73) one way.”
Jetstar has a fleet of 79 aircraft, including 53 Airbus A320-200s, six A321-200s, nine A321LRs and eleven Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners. Last week, the carrier announced that from April 2024, it will launch flights three times a week between Sydney and Osaka in Japan, using the 787 Dreamliners.
That follows the announcement that Jetstar is launching nonstop flights between Brisbane and Osaka from February 2024 and will be the only airline to fly from Osaka to Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns – the three most popular Australian cities for Japanese tourists.
Have you flown on a Jetstar A320 lately? Let us know in the comments.