Bangkok--16 Dec--Aziam Burson-Marsteller
Australia’s low fares airline Jetstar will expand its future Gold Coast — Tokyo (Narita) two class service, which commences five times a week from 18 December 2008, to a daily service from 29 March 2009.
The two* additional Gold Coast-Tokyo (Narita)* services are subject to regulatory approval.
The announcement reinforces Jetstar’s position as the largest Qantas Group operator on the Australia — Japan route, offering a future schedule of 21 weekly return flights that includes existing Osaka-Gold Coast-(Sydney) and future Cairns-Tokyo daily services, which launch from 18 December 2008.
Jetstar’s new daily* frequency on the Gold Coast-Tokyo route with its fleet of A330-200s will offer five times weekly connections Gold Coast-Sydney with a wide bodied tag service.
The announcement continues Jetstar’s commitment to a sustainable expansion of both its Australia-Japan services as well as its popular Gold Coast international and domestic flying hub.
By late April 2009, Jetstar’s international services from the Gold Coast will rise to 23 weekly return frequencies, including future daily Gold Coast — Auckland* A320 services (commencing from 28 April 2009) existing twice weekly Gold Coast-Christchurch A320 services and its commitment to daily direct flights to both Osaka and Tokyo.
Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said the Gold Coast — Tokyo (Narita) market, a new Qantas Group international route, had shown a positive sales performance ahead of its operational launch next week.
“Jetstar’s commitment to building a sustainable and now sizeable international and domestic flying hub from the Gold Coast is further vindicated by this announced next phase of expansion on the Gold Coast-Japan route,” Mr Buchanan said.
“By moving to a daily* direct offering between Tokyo and the Gold Coast, we believe we will be well placed to capture any upturn in Japanese interest in Australia, supported through existing marketing of the destination in Japan, a stronger exchange rate between the Japanese Yen and Australian Dollar, and improved flight access.
“Gold Coast International Airport is fast emerging through Jetstar as a primary gateway for Japanese visitation to Australia, via our future offering of daily direct international links to Tokyo and Osaka, representing over 4200 weekly seats across these markets.
“Our existing Gold Coast — Japan services and performance on these markets is meeting expectation and the positive trends we are starting to see are also being reflected in Japan. Our total passenger volumes on our Japanese services have risen, up by around 9 per cent over the April to September 2008 period compared to the prior year.
“The Kansai Immigration Office has also recently indicated quite strong rises in Japanese visitation to both Australia and New Zealand over the recent peak travel period (mid July — mid August) compared to last year, and we think the Gold Coast tourism industry can capture this improvement in Japanese consumer sentiment, supported by our expanding direct services.”
Mr Buchanan said Jetstar had recently announced a future three times weekly Cairns-Gold Coast A320 service to commence from 3 February 2009 that also provided through Jetstar’s Gold Coast flying hub, new opportunities for Japanese group and independent travellers when accessing and moving within Queensland and the Australian mainland.
Jetstar’s every day one way web fares (JetSaver Light) between Gold Coast-Osaka and Gold Coast-Tokyo (Narita)* start from $429 at Jetstar.com.
Media enquiries:
Simon Westaway General Manager Corporate Relations M: 0401 994 627
Andrea Wait Corporate Communications Adviser M: 0438 090 970
James Best Aziam Burson-Marsteller 662-252-9871