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More than 490,000 extra seats will be on offer to fly from AKL to destinations in Australia and New Zealand following a major capacity lift by Jetstar.
Rolling out over the next few months, the increases strengthen connections on some of New Zealand’s busiest domestic routes, as well as delivering more choice for travellers heading from Auckland to Australia and beyond.
Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker says the move by Jetstar to add flights on popular routes, particularly at busy times of the day, was a great development for travellers and the local tourism industry.
“This is fantastic news and a real vote of confidence in New Zealand’s travel market. More seats mean more choice, better schedules for business and leisure flyers, and stronger connections across New Zealand, Australia and into Asia. Jetstar’s investment, including basing another aircraft here, strengthens Auckland Airport’s role as the hub for Jetstar’s growth.
“Importantly, this announcement supports New Zealand’s tourism industry ambitions to grow back Australian visitation. With close to 180,000 extra seats on the trans-Tasman, we estimate this could bring 70,000 Australian visitors generating $190 million in additional visitor spend for the Auckland and the New Zealand economy,” Scott says.
“We’ve been making good progress over the past year or so increasing Australian tourists, with numbers back more than 90 per cent of pre-pandemic volumes through targeted campaigns and industry partnerships. It’s an important market, making up around 40 per cent of visitors to New Zealand, so adding seats on the trans-Tasman, which is still pretty tight for capacity, will certainly help put New Zealand front of mind for Australian holiday makers.”
The additions follow Jetstar’s launch of Auckland–Brisbane services in 2023 and reflects ongoing demand for travel between New Zealand and Australia.
