After more than a decade, a New Zealand airport is set to receive its first international flights, following a Jetstar announcement about boosting trans-Tasman services.
It been revealed that flights to Hamilton in New Zealand's Waikato area from the Gold Coast and Sydney are expected to begin mid-next-year.
Sydney flights are expected to begin from June 16th, and operate four days out of the week. Gold Coast flights are expected to start two days later, and run three days out of the week.
The website for Hamilton's airport said, "It's been 12 years since we had an international service out of Hamilton Airport, so let's give it 100 per cent support."
CEO of Jetstar Group, Stephanie Tully explained these new services will be the first time the low-cost carrier has flown to Hamilton.
She also noted they "will unlock more than 75,000 new low fares seats between Sydney and New Zealand's North Island each year."
"The new service will provide cheaper and more convenient access from east-coast Australia to holiday hot spots like Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty, as well as bring thousands of tourists to Sydney, injecting millions of dollars into the NSW tourism economy."
It has also been announced that Jetstar will fly between the Gold Coast and Dunedin on New Zealand's South Island, from June 24th, three times a week.
These new flight routes are a result of a seven-year agreement between the Qantas Group and Queensland Airports, in order to "support future growth" from Qantas and Jetstar.
"Tourism is a key industry on the Gold Coast and the new agreement with Queensland Airports will support the growth of inbound tourism and provide a big boost to local operators. It's also great news for customers, with the new routes unlocking more than 115,000 new low fares seats a year between the Gold Coast and Hamilton and Dunedin, while helping to connect the city's large population of Kiwi ex-pats to their home country."
"We thank the Queensland government and Queensland Airports for their ongoing support of low fares travel across the Sunshine State."
A 24-hour sale has been launched by Jetstar to mark these new announcements. Gold Coast to Hamilton one-way is being offered from $155, Sydney to Hamilton is being offered from $159, and Gold Coast to Dunedin is being offered from $169.
October 2012 was the last time Hamilton received international flights, with the Waikato Regional Airport's Ltd Chief Executive, Mark Morgan saying his team is "thrilled" to have these services.
"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."
Comments
Post a Comment