Jetstar Launches New Long-Haul Service from Sunshine Coast
Jetstar, the low-cost arm of Qantas, announced a new route starting in March, connecting the Sunshine Coast in Australia to Bali and then Singapore with one stop. The Sunshine Coast is Australia's tenth-busiest airport by passenger volume.
Route Details
- The service will operate three times a week starting March 24.
- Flights will use Jetstar's 232-seat Airbus A321LR aircraft, known for low seat-mile costs due to their high capacity and all-economy layout.
- The route covers 3,308 nautical miles (6,126 km) each way.
Context and Market Insights
Bali serves as a popular destination for Australians, similar in appeal to Cancun for Americans or Malaga for Europeans. The launch of this route follows other recent developments, such as Gold Coast and Newcastle gaining Bali flights, with Newcastle hosting its longest international service yet.
Jetstar's move is partly driven by the lack of available traffic rights from Australia's major cities to Bali, pushing the airline to find creative route solutions supported by substantial financial incentives.
Challenges and Opportunities
Currently, booking data for flights from the Sunshine Coast to Bali and Singapore is scarce, likely because many travelers prefer driving to Brisbane for nonstop flights. Despite this, Jetstar anticipates that the new service will quickly grow demand.
"Part of the reason is that no traffic rights remain from Australia's main cities to Bali. Thus, Jetstar has had to become more creative, inevitably underpinned by big new route financial incentives."
"The high-capacity, all-economy equipment has very low seat-mile costs."
Recently, very long flights operated by the Airbus A321LR, like Air Astana's London Heathrow routes, have demonstrated the aircraft's capability for such missions.
Author’s Summary
This innovative Jetstar route from the Sunshine Coast capitalizes on niche market demand and financial incentives, promising to expand access to Bali and Singapore despite limited direct city connections.