Dunedin and Hamilton regain International Flights

Jetstar has announced another major expansion of its New Zealand operations, unlocking more than 190,000 new low fares seats every year and injecting millions of dollars into the country's tourism economy. The new services will take off from Hamilton to the Gold Coast and Sydney, and from Dunedin to the Gold Coast from June 2025 and be operated using Jetstar’s fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft. It will be the first time Jetstar has ever flown to and from Hamilton and the first time the low-cost carrier will operate international flights to and from Dunedin. The new routes will provide Kiwis with more direct access to the Gold Coast and Sydney—two of Australia’s most popular tourist destinations—and make it easier for travellers to connect onto Jetstar’s extensive low-cost network across Australia, Asia and the Pacific. This is Jetstar’s second major expansion in New Zealand in just three months, as the airline embarks on its most significant expansion in the country in more than 10 years. 

ROUTE LAUNCH SALE

To celebrate today’s news, Jetstar has launched a 24-hour Route Launch Sale with sale fares available at Jetstar.com from 12pm NZST, including: 

Hamilton to Sydney from $130^

Hamilton to the Gold Coast from $139^

Dunedin to the Gold Coast from $155^

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully, said the airline was excited to be further expanding its network in Aotearoa. “We’re in a period of unparalleled growth for Jetstar in New Zealand, launching five new routes in the past three months and providing greater low-fares connections to key regions across the country. As the country’s only low-cost airline, Jetstar provides critical competition in New Zealand and helps keep travel affordable for Kiwis, with one million domestic fares selling for less than $100 in the past year alone. With consistently low fares and improved reliability, there’s never been a better time to give Jetstar a go. We thank Hamilton and Dunedin Airports for their ongoing support of low fares travel for Kiwis. It’s through strong partnerships like these that we’re able to grow our network in New Zealand.”

Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan said he was thrilled to welcome Jetstar to Hamilton. “The benefits for the entire region – not just passengers – are huge. Analysis indicates the flights will boost our regional economy by about $45 million per year. That’s fantastic for everyone; this is not just about the airport, it’s a great day for the region. “The Jetstar flights will see over 100,000 more passengers per year using Hamilton Airport, some for business and some on holiday, leading to the creation of around 60 new airport-based jobs.” 

Dunedin Airport CEO Daniel De Bono says “We’re so happy to announce Dunedin, and the region, will again enjoy international flights, with Jetstar’s direct flights to Australia. This is the result of five years of hard work, with our team behind the scenes negotiating on behalf of our community to bring international flights back to our city, and our region. We know how much our community—and everyone in the lower South Island—wanted this, and we are incredibly proud and excited to announce this new service today. We would also like to extend our thanks to the teams at Gold Coast Airport and Jetstar, for your commitment to bringing this route to Dunedin.

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

From 24 June 2025

Flight Frequency         From To         Depart Arrive 

JQ190 Tues, Thurs, Sat DUD OOL 1545* 1725 

JQ189 Tues, Thurs, Sat OOL DUD 0925 1445*

From 18 June 2025

Flight Frequency      From To         Depart Arrive 

JQ164 Wed, Fri, Sun      HLZ OOL 1230* 1420 

JQ163 Wed, Fri, Sun      OOL HLZ 0620 1130*

From 16 June 2025

Flight Frequency                 From To         Depart Arrive 

JQ166 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat HLZ SYD 1205* 1335 

JQ165 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Sat SYD HLZ 0615 1115*

*Non daylight savings time

Source : Jetstar media release

Champagne corks are popping across the Waikato today with confirmation that direct flights between Hamilton Airport and Australia are back. Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas, has announced it will offer three return flights per week between Hamilton and the Gold Coast and four return flights per week between Hamilton and Sydney. The first flights will take off in June 2025, in time for the New Zealand school holidays. The trans-Tasman commercial flights will be the first out of Hamilton in 13 years. The final Virgin Australia flight flew from Hamilton to Brisbane on October 27, 2012, ending 18 years of trans-Tasman flights. Waikato Regional Airport Ltd (WRAL) chief executive Mark Morgan said today’s celebration comes after more than a year of “solid grind” by his team negotiating with the airline and border agencies. “It’s been hard, complex work, in a very sensitive commercial environment and we are thrilled to have pulled this off. The benefits for the entire region – not just passengers – are huge. Analysis indicates the flights will boost the regional economy by about $45 million per year. That’s fantastic for everyone; this is not just about the airport, it’s a great day for the region.” The Jetstar flights will see over 100,000 more passengers per year using Hamilton Airport, some for business and some on holiday, leading to the creation of around 60 new airport-based jobs. Jetstar Group chief executive Stephanie Tully said the airline was excited to be further expanding its network in Aotearoa. “We’re in a period of unparalleled growth for Jetstar in New Zealand, launching five new routes in the past three months and providing greater low-fares connections to key regions across the country. As the country’s only low-cost airline, Jetstar provides critical competition in New Zealand and helps keep travel affordable for Kiwis, with one million domestic fares selling for less than $100 in the past year alone. With consistently low fares and improved reliability, there’s never been a better time to give Jetstar a go. We thank Hamilton and Dunedin Airports for their ongoing support of low fares travel for Kiwis. It’s through strong partnerships like these that we’re able to grow our network in New Zealand.” Hamilton Airport will refit its northern terminal in preparation for customs, border control, aviation security and other services needed for international flights. “We have most of the building services and fundamentals already in place following our seismic strengthening and refurbishment project completed in 2022. There is some work to do, but we did future-proof the building to the extent we could. So the work required is not major and will begin in November this year with no disruption to customers,” Morgan said. The aircraft used on the trans-Tasman routes will be a 188-seater A320 Neo. He confirmed there was no requirement to change the runway to accommodate the services. “The size of our runway has never been a barrier to trans-Tasman flights.” WRAL Board of Directors chair Barry Harris said he was extraordinarily proud of what the WRAL team had achieved. “There has been a lot of moving parts to this on both sides of the Tasman and it’s taken a lot to pull it together. We congratulate Mark’s team for what they have achieved and congratulate Jetstar too for recognising the Waikato represents a huge opportunity,” he said. “Hamilton Airport is in good shape financially and that’s allowed us to identify opportunities and go after them. The resurrection of international fights is great for the airport but more importantly, it’s great for the wider region and for the travelling public.”  Hamilton and Waikato Tourism general manager Nicola Greenwell was jubilant today. “This is fantastic news, brilliant. Australian visitors already account for 19 per cent of our international visitor spend in the region. Now, with direct flights into Hamilton Kirikiriroa we become even more accessible and this is fantastic news for the mighty Waikato, for the central North Island and beyond,” Greenwell said. “This, on top of the recent announcement of two new hotels for Kirikiriroa, means the future of the visitor sector for our region is bright.” Once flights begin Jetstar will become the fourth airline using Hamilton Airport for scheduled flights. Other carriers include Air New Zealand, Sunair and Originair.

Source : Hamilton Airport media release

Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate has today welcomed news that Jetstar will start flying between Australia and Hamilton. “This is a huge win for our city and region. Air travel plays a major role in economic and social connectivity, and this will open up Hamilton to Australia and the world,” said Mayor Southgate. “I’m sure Hamiltonians will be excited to have direct access across the ditch. But this will also give our local economy a tremendous boost, by creating jobs, opening up business opportunities, and bringing tourists here to eat, play and stay in our city and region.” 65,000 additional travellers inbound to Hamilton Airport are anticipated, that will generate 360 new jobs and an additional $45m to our regional economy. Hamilton City Council has a 50 percent ownership stake in Hamilton Airport, which operates as an independently governed CCO.

Source : Hamilton City Council media release