New routes, extra capacity: Jetstar’s biggest shakeup in years

Jetstar has announced a big expansion in New Zealand with new routes and extra capacity. To mark the airline’s 15th birthday, the low-cost carrier has revealed it will start flying Christchurch to Cairns, and will be in competition with Air New Zealand on Auckland to the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore). Also, it will increase capacity on domestic routes, starting with Christchurch to Auckland and Auckland to Wellington, as well as adding a new aircraft in Christchurch from December. It will mean the airline will have eight Airbus A320 planes here and it’s the first time Jetstar has expanded its fleet in New Zealand in more than 10 years. Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said the airline is “really excited to be entering such a significant period of growth”. “Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped make travel more accessible for millions of New Zealanders and this expansion will help to unlock hundreds of thousands of low fares and more choice for our customers and provide a significant boost to tourism on both sides of the Tasman,” said Tully. “Having another aircraft based in Christchurch, as well as the launch of new flights and capacity, will help establish the city as a major gateway for Jetstar in New Zealand, providing more choice and great low fares for South Island residents.”<br/>