Jetstar’s Surprising New Trans-Tasman Routes

Aerial drone panoramic view over the city of Hamilton, in the Waikato region of New Zealand. Taken: Sunday, 19 December 2021.
Hamilton, New Zealand. Photo: Adobe Stock.

Jetstar will soon fly from Australia to two new cities in regional New Zealand – Hamilton and Dunedin. It follows the announcement just a few months ago of new Jetstar flights from Cairns to Christchurch, as well as from Sunshine Coast to Auckland.

From June 2025, Jetstar will fly from both Sydney and the Gold Coast to Hamilton, a small city to the south of Auckland on New Zealand’s North Island. The budget carrier will also launch direct flights from Gold Coast to Dunedin, the second largest city on New Zealand’s South Island.

Jetstar’s new trans-Tasman flight schedules

Jetstar’s Airbus A320 aircraft will serve these routes with the following schedules…

Jetstar Sydney-Hamilton flights

Starting on 16 June 2025, Jetstar flights from Sydney to Hamilton will run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at these times:

  • JQ165 Sydney 06:15 – Hamilton 11:15
  • JQ166 Hamilton 12:05 – Sydney 13:35

Jetstar Gold Coast-Hamilton flights

The Gold Coast-Hamilton route launches on 18 June 2025, with flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays on the following schedule:

  • JQ163 Gold Coast 06:20 – Hamilton 11:30
  • JQ164 Hamilton 12:30 – Gold Coast 14:20

Jetstar Gold Coast-Dunedin flights

Gold Coast-Dunedin flights will begin on 24 June 2025 and run on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This is the schedule:

  • JQ189 Gold Coat 09:25 – Dunedin 14:45
  • JQ190 Dunedin 15:45 – Gold Coast 17:25
A Jetstar Airbus A320 takes off
Jetstar will base another Airbus A320 at Gold Coast Airport to support these new flights. Photo: Jetstar.

Why did Jetstar choose these new routes?

These are fairly niche routes that have not been served for a long time. The last time Hamilton received regularly scheduled passenger flights to Australia was in 2008, when Air New Zealand’s former budget arm Freedom Air flew from Hamilton to Gold Coast, Brisbane and Sydney.

Virgin Australia previously flew from Brisbane to Dunedin, but that airport has been without any trans-Tasman service since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

So, why is Jetstar launching these new trans-Tasman routes to Hamilton and Dunedin – two relatively niche destinations?

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Firstly, their airports are gateways to some of the most popular tourism regions in New Zealand. Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully also cited the large Kiwi expat community on the Gold Coast as one of the reasons for launching these routes.

But those don’t seem to be the main driving factors for these routes. They are mainly designed to attract inbound tourism from New Zealand.

“These services are expected to deliver over 115,000 passengers annually to the Gold Coast, connecting the city to Dunedin for the first time and re-establishing the airport’s first ever Tasman route, to Hamilton,” Queensland Airports Limited CEO Amelia Evans said.

The Queensland government and Queensland Airports are financially supporting the flights, which they hope will increase the number of Kiwi tourists spending money in Queensland.

“The new services will make Gold Coast Airport Australia’s most connected to New Zealand, with more routes for visitors and students to arrive, with air freight heading back across the Tasman,” Queensland Tourism Minister Michael Healy said.

“Almost half a million kiwis crossed the ditch to visit Queensland in the year ending March 2024, setting a second consecutive visitor spending record with $821 million in overnight visitor expenditure.”

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Are these daytime flights or back of clock ops?

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Are these daytime flights or back of clock ops?

I have a feeling the Cairns flight will be a A321N red eye as they have one sitting overnight doing nothing. We will find out tomorrow I guess.

MCY-AKL would likely be operated by AKL based crew so likely daytime.

Reply 2 Likes

CNS-CHC schedule is showing on Expert Flyer, but MCY-AKL isn't.

JQ135 CNS 2255 CHC 0550 32Q Tue, Thu, Sun
JQ136 CHC 0705 CNS 1040 32Q Mon, Wed, Fri

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Would expect will be NZ based aircraft and NZ crew (cheaper than AU)
On NZ radio this morning JQ CEO Tully mentioned QLD govt and CHC airport for "support" Which to me means subsidy.
JQ newsroom-->

<snip>
To support the growth in flying, Jetstar will base an additional aircraft in Christchurch from December, bringing its New Zealand fleet to eight Airbus A320 aircraft. It’s the first time Jetstar has expanded its fleet in New Zealand in more than 10 years.
<snip>

“These will be the 33rd and 34th routes secured through the $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

“The Fund is estimated to deliver more than 2.26 million inbound international seats and up to $1.95 billion in overnight visitor spend per year, supporting 22,700 Queensland jobs.”

Flight Schedule
Christchurch to Cairns*
From 1 April 2025

Flight Frequency From To Depart Arrive
JQ135 Tue, Thu CNS CHC 22:55 06:50#
JQ136 Wed, Fri CHC CNS 08:05# 10:40

#NZ daylight saving time

From 6 April 2025

Flight Frequency From To Depart Arrive
JQ135 Tue, Thu, Sun CNS CHC 22:55 05:50
JQ136 Mon, Wed, Fri CHC CNS 07:05 10:40

Auckland to Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore)*

From 13 December 2024*

Flight Frequency From To Depart Arrive
JQ176 Tue, Fri, Sun AKL MCY 6:15 06:45
JQ175 Tue, Fri, Sun MCY AKL 08:00 14:10

Revised timings to improve connectivity to Jetstar long haul network

From 15 December 2024

Flight Frequency From To Depart Arrive
JQ172 Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun CHC MEL 9:15 11:05
JQ171 Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun MEL CHC 12:05 17:20

*Subject to government and regulatory approval.

Reply 1 Like

click to expand...

Would expect will be NZ based aircraft and NZ crew (cheaper than AU)
On NZ radio this morning JQ CEO Tully mentioned QLD govt and CHC airport for "support" Which to me means subsidy.

I wonder if an upcoming change of government (Based on the polls) would mean any potential new (L/NP) gov't will be gradually winding back if not eventually phasing out the AAIF.

Going by the CNS timings, I'd assume that flight is operated by CNS based crews. If for the AKL-MCY flights timing, probably likely those are operated by JQ-NZ crews.

Reply Like

Not sure how JQ could make money from these routes? Other than Kiwis looking for a bit of sun, but that doesn't seen very substantial?

Of course I really have no idea, but someone must have run the numbers...

Reply Like

Of course I really have no idea, but someone must have run the numbers...

Both ends are offering $$$. For the QLD end the state gov AAIF and for the NZ end the airports (CHC).

Reply 2 Likes

I wonder if an upcoming change of government (Based on the polls) would mean any potential new (L/NP) gov't will be gradually winding back if not eventually phasing out the AAIF.

Going by the CNS timings, I'd assume that flight is operated by CNS based crews. If for the AKL-MCY flights timing, probably likely those are operated by JQ-NZ crews.

That's very possible if there was an (unlikely) change in government in QLD. They're focus isn't tourism or supporting QLD businesses.

Post automatically merged:

Not sure how JQ could make money from these routes? Other than Kiwis looking for a bit of sun, but that doesn't seen very substantial?

Of course I really have no idea, but someone must have run the numbers...

North QLD'ers wanting to go to NZ without going via BNE or SYD. Or the backpacker market looking to go to NZ after travelling up the east coast.

Reply 1 Like

click to expand...

That's very possible if there was an (unlikely) change in government in QLD. They're focus isn't tourism or supporting QLD businesses.

Post automatically merged:

North QLD'ers wanting to go to NZ without going via BNE or SYD. Or the backpacker market looking to go to NZ after travelling up the east coast.

But now Bonza is dead, there's no way to go north from MCY. So north QLDers would be better off going via BNE/SYD/MEL.

Reply Like

Not sure how JQ could make money from these routes? Other than Kiwis looking for a bit of sun, but that doesn't seen very substantial?

Of course I really have no idea, but someone must have run the numbers...

Oh the Queensland taxpayers (myself included) will take care of the bill, don’t you worry about that, we love shelling out dollars for fits and giggles…

Reply 1 Like