Budget carrier Jetstar is "loss-making" on its regional services in New Zealand and "market conditions are being monitored closely," parent company Qantas told investors today. Regional flights are defined on the Jetstar NZ website as services to Napier, Nelson, New Plymouth and Palmerston North, raising the spectre of service cuts to regional centres of a similar kind to those that have landed national carrier Air New Zealand in political hot water in the past. The Qantas results, released to the Australian Stock Exchange this morning, offer no other detail on New Zealand services. Air NZ, which claims around 80 per cent of the domestic travel market, has in the past suggested that Jetstar - which also services the main centres and Queenstown as well as flying the Tasman - makes no money in New Zealand. The Qantas group result bore similarities to the earnings announced earlier today by Air NZ, in that both airlines saw profits dented by a combination of higher jet fuel costs and softening demand for both domestic and international travel.
For the full article see : https://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?objectid=12261025
Coincidentally, some heavy maint is coming up which will also reflect a reduction in schedule.
ReplyDeleteJust look at the departure and arrival boards at Auckland domestic. Air NZ flights with QF code share showing flying alongside Jetstar ones to the same loss making destination - go figure.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good point, general public consider Jetstar competition, but they are effectively working alongside each other now with the very comprehensive codehsare agreement with QF (which general public probably forget it just a thin line QF
DeleteI thought it was always a given that their regional operations here were loss making. Puzzled why now this is making news?? The parent company feeling the pinch?
ReplyDeleteThere before tax profit is $1.3B which is down 17% from last FY. The Q300 operation is barely a drop in the bucket
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