Jetstar mulls India, Africa expansion as major 787 cabin refresh gets underway

Jetstar has unveiled a multi-million-dollar cabin product upgrade for its Boeing 787-8 fleet, as it hints at expanding operations to South Asia and Africa. The low-cost arm of Australia’s Qantas says the upgrade will see new economy- and business-class seats – both to be manufactured by Recaro – as well as onboard wi-fi connectivity and a dedicated crew rest area.<br/>The first aircraft with the refreshed cabin will enter service in late-2025; retrofit works will be carried out during scheduled heavy maintenance. Jetstar will also more than double the number of business-class seats on its 787s – from the current 21 seats to 44. The airline says the move is “in response to growing customer demand for more choice and extra comfort when flying long-haul”. As a result, the total seat count on Jetstar’s 787s will now be 325, 10 fewer seats than the current configuration. The new Recaro seats in both classes will feature seat-back device holders, as well as power outlets. The addition of a crew rest area on the aircraft unlocks ”the possibility of exciting new destinations like Sri Lanka and India”, says airline chief Stephanie Tully. Jetstar stresses that it has not made a decision on which new destinations it will deploy the type on. Adds Tully: “This multi-million-dollar fleet revamp will allow us to offer our customers more choice, comfort and amenities when flying longer distances internationally.” According to Cirium fleets data, Jetstar has an in-service fleet of 11 787-8s, which are all powered by GEnx-1B engines. The aircraft, which operate medium- to long-haul flights to cities such as Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok and Honolulu, are between eight and 10 years old.<br/>