Queenslanders will soon be directly reconnected to Thailand after Jetstar announced it will commence Brisbane-Bangkok flights later this year.
Launching 13 December, the new service will operate three times per week utilising Jetstar’s B787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Approximately eight hours, the service will depart Brisbane at 2.20pm on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and return at 8.25am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The new flights will save Queenslanders several hours on the current travel time via indirect routes.
According to the airline, the new service will add more than 190,000 extra seats to Queensland over three years, generating around $116 million of visitor spending.
Thai Airways was the last carrier to directly link the Sunshine State with Thailand, before it was forced to suspend flights in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
The new service marks Brisbane Airport’s 32nd direct international connection.
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaf said the hub was thrilled with the reconnection of “two long-time friends” Queensland and Thailand.
“This route has been the most frequently requested in comments on Brisbane Airport’s social media accounts over the past two years,” he said.
“A direct flight makes it easier for families and friends to connect and provides greater opportunities for Queensland exporters with up to 15 tonnes of freight capacity on every service.
“Queenslanders have embraced the great value Jetstar offers, propelling it from Brisbane Airport’s seventh biggest international carrier to number two.”
The new service adds to a 2023 Jetstar-Brisbane Airport deal, which has so far introduced half a million JQ seats between Brisbane and Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), Seoul (Incheon) and Auckland.
“It’s terrific to see Jetstar take flight between Bangkok and Brisbane for the first time,” Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy said.
“Compared to pre COVID figures, we have recently seen record numbers of visitors from Thailand to Queensland, so it was vital for us to open up a direct route to Bangkok.
“Being a low-cost carrier, Jetstar will help make travel to Brisbane more affordable for international students and passengers travelling from across Asia, the UK, and Europe, using Bangkok as a hub.
“This is another win for the $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund which has now secured 32 international routes since February 2022.”
Jetstar Group CEO Steph Tully said the new service marked the low-cost carrier’s 20th Brisbane route in its 20th year of flying “and we’re focused on delivering for our customers with more new routes and new aircraft on the way”.
“With Jetstar’s three direct flights each week from December and great low fares, it has never been easier or more affordable to get to Bangkok from Brisbane and we expect this new route to be incredibly popular,” she added.
“We would like to thank the Queensland Government and Brisbane Airport for their ongoing support of low fares travel.”
To mark the new route, Jetstar has unveiled discounted launch fares via its website.
This week, Jetstar unveiled its new ready-made flight bundles, ranging from the basic Starter Plus to the Flex Plus Bundle with different inclusions, flexibility and Qantas Points and rewards earning capacity.
Last week, Jetstar commemorated its first-ever flight 20 years ago – from Newcastle to Melbourne – recreating the historic journey with some of the original pilots, crew and passengers on board.
In May, the Aussie airline was named the top low-cost carrier in the Australia-Pacific region for the second time in a row in the 2024 Airline Excellence Awards.
