Budget airline Jetstar will ramp up its domestic services by 50 per cent from February with the addition of two new Airbus A320 jets.The move follows the departure of fellow budget competitor Pacific Blue which will leaves the domestic market next month.Qantas-owned Jetstar will increase weekly return flights between Auckland and Christchurch from 35 to 49 and between Auckland and Wellington from 21 a week to 35 a week.There will also be additional frequencies between Auckland and Queenstown and Wellington and Christchurch.Air New Zealand has also said it would increase capacity, including gradually replacing its Boeing 737-300 fleet with larger A320s.Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said the increases would boost Jetstar’s domestic market share to about 17 per cent."It is getting up to the point where we have got some relevancy in the market place, and that is good for the travelling public and it provides a viable alternative in terms of frequency now," Mr Buchanan said.That would provide a platform for future growth and destinations, he said.Jetstar has previously announced some additional trans-Tasman services from April.It will be the first airline to offer budget long-haul flights out of New Zealand when it begins direct daily services from Auckland to Singapore in March.
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