Jetstar announced yesterday it planned to temporarily add three extra flights per week to its direct service between Dunedin and Auckland.
They would operate Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, starting October 26, and provide an estimated 24,000 additional seats until May 17 next year.
It also planned to add a new thrice-weekly service between Queenstown and Brisbane, in time for next year’s snow season.
That seasonal service would provide more than 17,000 low-fare seats between June and October 2026, the airline said.
Dunedin Airport chief executive Daniel De Bono said the support to the South was encouraging.
“With these additional flights between Dunedin and Auckland, there’s a lot more choice for southern travellers.
“The increased capacity is a great reflection of the strong growth we’re experiencing with Jetstar, not only domestically, but in the new transtasman service to the Gold Coast,” Mr De Bono said.
Bookings for the Dunedin-Gold Coast service had reached more than 20,000 since it was launched in June, he said.
Jetstar also announced increased capacity across other domestic and transtasman routes.
Flights between Auckland and Brisbane would now operate twice daily and four extra flights per week would be added between Auckland and Sydney — providing about 99,000 and 79,000 additional seats to the respective routes per year.
Flights linking Christchurch and Melbourne would operate year-round on a daily basis, adding 26,000 seats per year.
Three extra flights would be added between Christchurch and Auckland, amounting to 290,000 additional seats per year.
A new daily service between Christchurch and Hamilton would also launch in December.
Jetstar Group chief executive Stephanie Tully said the changes would lift Jetstar’s total New Zealand domestic capacity by 18%, and 14% across the Tasman.
“Our two new routes and increased domestic and transtasman capacity will create more than 660,000 new low-fares seats a year.
“These changes will give a much-needed boost to inbound tourism while offering Kiwis even more low fares and choice in how they travel.
Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said the new services would strengthen airline connectivity for both tourism and business within New Zealand and on the transtasman routes. — Allied Media
