31 Jul 2020

Jetstar increasing its domestic schedule from August

2:04 pm on 31 July 2020

Jetstar is is ramping up its domestic flight schedule to keep up with demand, the airline says.

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Photo: 123rf

It will return to 90 percent of its normal domestic schedule in New Zealand (100 return weekly flights across six routes) from August.

The airline had been operating 75 flights, or 60 percent of its schedule before the Covid-19 pandemic, across five locations (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin) in July.

Jetstar said it planned to operate at 90 percent capacity until the end of October before determining its schedule from November onwards.

Chief executive Gareth Evans said customer bookings had exceeded the company's expectations since returning to service, leading to the increase in flights.

"Demand... to popular leisure destinations, such as Queenstown and Dunedin, have been really strong. We have also seen an increase in the number of customers flying for business, specifically between Auckland and Wellington.

"While many other countries are operating a limited domestic network due to Covid-related restrictions, it's exciting to see the local tourism market in New Zealand going from strength to strength," he said.

Jetstar said more than 6000 seats will be available on its website from midday Friday.

Last week Air New Zealand announced it was increasing its domestic schedule for August to 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

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