The Sunshine Coast and Cairns will be reconnected at the end of the year, with Jetstar announcing the launch of new non-stop flights between the popular holiday spots.
The new route will be Jetstar’s first direct service between the two cities and the only service by any airline between the Sunny Coast and Cairns following the grounding of Bonza flights two months ago.
From 3-12 December, the low-cost carrier will fly three-weekly services (Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday) between the destinations utilising its A320 aircraft on the route. During peak season, from 15 December to 27 January 2025, the carrier will ramp that up to four services per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
The thrice-weekly service will return on 30 January. Jetstar Executive Manager, Customer, Jenn Armor said the airline anticipates more than 4,000 passengers on the route every month.
“These new flights are expected to be popular with both interstate and overseas tourists wanting to explore more of Queensland and locals taking off on holiday or reconnecting with family and friends,” she said.
“We’re proud to be supporting tourism in both coastal cities and we thank Sunshine Coast airport for their continued support of low fares travel.” Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills said the new service would boost two-way tourism.
“We are excited to partner with Jetstar on this new Cairns service. It’s great for locals, and great for tourism,” he remarked.
“Cairns’ locals will be able to fly directly to the Sunshine Coast and connect with loved ones, or relax on holiday and experience our incredible beaches, hinterland and one of a kind restaurants and breweries.
“These flights will also unlock Tropical Far North Queensland, with a short flight giving Coast locals access to the Daintree, Great Barrier Reef, and Asia through Cairns’ international connections.”
Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker said the announcement made it easier for Queenslanders (and others) to holiday in both destinations instead of always having to choose one.
“Both regions are rich in natural attractions and world-class tourism offerings, but they’re also uniquely different,” Barker said.
“The launch of these flights means locals and holidaymakers can experience the best of both destinations with easy non-stop travel and for an affordable price.
“It’s also ideal that this new service is commencing at the start of the summer school holidays and in the lead up to the festive season, when many people are keen to travel to visit loved ones or take a well-deserved break.”
To mark the new route, Jetstar will offer discounted fares between the ports for 24 hours from $49 at jetstar.com, commencing at 11am (AEST).
It’s been a busy month for Jetstar.
This week, the carrier announced a massive increase in capacity to New Zealand along with two new routes including Sunshine Coast-Auckland. Earlier this month, it also launched the first-ever direct flights between Hervey Bay and Melbourne.
In addition, Jetstar today announced that it would be flying to Vanuatu for the first time ever.
