Starting on September 10, 2024, Qantas will fly three times a week between Brisbane Airport (BNE) and Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) in Port Vila, with the ability to increase to five per week based on demand. 

From December 12, 2024, Jetstar will offer up to four weekly flights between Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) and VLI.  

The flights will make up a combined 50,000 new seats each year between Australia and Vanuatu.

Qantas will launch its new flights with its Boeing 737 aircraft, while Jetstar will use its fleet of Airbus A321neo LRs.

Qantas International CEO, Cam Wallace said the new route would help meet continued demand for travel between Australia and Vanuatu.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to offer our customers direct flights between Brisbane and Vanuatu and build on this important route which will maintain essential connectivity for leisure and business travel,鈥� Wallace said in a statement.

鈥淲e鈥檝e long served Vanuatu through our codeshare partnership and this new route ensures our customers have more choice and consistent service to the island destination we know they enjoy,鈥� Wallace added.

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully said Vanuatu is a new destination for Jetstar.

鈥淎head of the arrival of our 13th A321neo LR next month and more new aircraft on the way, we鈥檙e continuing to grow our international network with the launch of low fares seats between Sydney and Port Vila,鈥� Tully said.

According to Vanuatu精东影业 , Australians make up 62% of overseas visitors in the country. 

Located 2,000 kilometers northeast of Brisbane, Vanuatu has shared deep bilateral relations with Australia for decades.

Australia established a presence in Vanuatu in 1978 and championed the case for Vanuatu’s independence in the United Nations and Pacific Forums in the lead up to independence in 1980.

On May 9, 2024, Vanuatu精东影业 flag carrier, Air Vanuatu, grounded its fleet and canceled future flights following the dissolution of the airline精东影业 board.聽

Grounded carrier Air Vanuatu eyes potential investors to fund revival聽聽

• Airlines
• Aviation Economics & Finance

byLuke Peters

2024-06-19

Celebrating its 15^th anniversary, Jetstar revealed on June 26, 2024, that its operational increase will include new routes and relocating an additional Airbus A320 aircraft to New Zealand.聽聽

The airline will kick things off with new services between Christchurch and Cairns, and Auckland and the Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) plus an increase in capacity on domestic routes from Christchurch to Auckland and Auckland to Wellington. 

Over the next 12 months the new strategic plan will also include increasing the domestic services in New Zealand and adjusting its Christchurch to Melbourne flight times to improve connectivity to its long-haul international network. 

The additional Airbus A320 will become Jetstar精东影业 eighth to be based in New Zealand and represents the first time the carrier has expanded its fleet in the country in more than 10 years.   

鈥淭his month we鈥檙e celebrating our 15th birthday in New Zealand, and as we mark this milestone, we鈥檙e really excited to be entering such a significant period of growth. Over the past 15 years, we鈥檝e helped make travel more accessible for millions of New Zealanders and this expansion will help to unlock hundreds of thousands of low fares and more choice for our customers and provide a significant boost to tourism on both sides of the Tasman,鈥� said Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully.  

The Jetstar head added: 鈥淗aving another aircraft based in Christchurch, as well as the launch of new flights and capacity, will help establish the city as a major gateway for Jetstar in New Zealand, providing more choice and great low fares for South Island residents.鈥� 

Queensland Tourism Minister and State Member for Cairns said that the new flights will 鈥済o some way to alleviating the pain of losing Bonza Airlines鈥�.聽

鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to see yet another international service booked for Cairns with a three-year commitment by Jetstar for three weekly services from Christchurch to Cairns, starting in April 2025. Sunshine Coast Airport will also benefit from three weekly Jetstar services arriving from Auckland starting in December 2024,鈥� Healy said.聽

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• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-07-03

Shortly after landing on May 31, 2024, the Jetstar Airbus A320, which had arrived from Auckland Airport (AKL), veered off the runway as the aircraft decelerated.聽

In a statement issued by Jetstar, the low-cost airline said that the A320, registered VH-VFF, suffered a 鈥渟teering issue鈥� which caused the aircraft to veer from the runway at 鈥渓ow speed and onto the grass.鈥� 

Writer Diana Clement, who was on the flight, told the that the Jetstar plane 鈥渟werved wildly鈥� onto the grass leaving her 鈥渟haken鈥� by the experience.聽聽

Clement said the aircraft was surrounded by fire trucks and that the aircraft had suffered a 鈥渉ydraulic leak on the right鈥�.  

Flight JQ225 left Auckland shortly after 06:30 local time before arriving in Christchurch around one hour later.聽聽

Jetstar flight JQ225, an A320, apparently had a runway excursion on landing in Christchurch airport (New Zealand). No injuries reported. Updates when possible. Many thanks to for the tip on this one 鈥�

— Air Safety #OTD by Francisco Cunha (@OnDisasters)

鈥淭here were no injuries to passengers or crew,鈥� Jetstar said in its statement. 鈥淭he aircraft was towed to the gate and all passengers disembarked. We’re working with Airbus and relevant authorities to investigate what happened.鈥� 

The airline added: 鈥淲e understand this may have been a difficult experience for our customers and we thank everyone onboard for their cooperation.鈥� 

The TAIC has asked any witnesses to come forward, 鈥渆specially those who have relevant video footage鈥� the commission said.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e gathering all the usual evidence and data for the start of this sort of investigation 鈥� including the cockpit voice and flight data recordings and airport CCTV footage,鈥� Chief Investigator of Accidents Naveen Kozhuppakalam said. 鈥淥ur investigators will be seeking and recovering electronic records and interviewing aircraft crew, airport authorities, air traffic control, and witnesses.鈥� 

The commission confirmed it has appointed a dedicated investigation team of two, who are on the airport site today.   

The main runway at Christchurch Airport was initially closed following the incident but reopened at 07:45. 

鈥淧olice have confirmed there were no injuries to those onboard,鈥� the airport said in a statement. 鈥淭he terminal is open as normal.鈥澛�

Four Jetstar cabin crew hospitalized after being overcome by fumes on flight

• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-30

Flight JQ 966 arrived at Cairns Airport (CNS) from Coolangatta Airport (OOL) in the Gold Coast at around 09:30 local time on May 30, 2024.

Passengers had disembarked the A320 aircraft when crew members noticed an unusual smell and began to feel nauseous.

One crew member started to feel faint and had to be supported by a colleague so she would not fall, a spokesperson for the airline told Australian media outlets.

Queensland Ambulance Service attended to crew members, who were given oxygen at the scene. Paramedics said the flight attendants experienced nausea, headaches, burning in their eyes and lightheadedness after reportedly being exposed to fumes on the aircraft.

The cabin crew members are now in stable condition and the aircraft will be investigated for the source of the fumes.

A similar incident occurred in December 2023 when three Spirit Airlines flight attendants were hospitalized in the United States after they were exposed to fumes while carrying out preflight checks on an aircraft. 

Troopers were sent to Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) and the flight attendants were subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for medical evaluation.聽

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• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-30

This was what passengers on Jetstar flight JQ57 from Brisbane Airport (BNE) to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) in Bali experienced when they arrived on March 16, 2024.

A video of the chaotic incident was captured by a passenger who went on to share the chaotic moment on social media. In the footage, dozens of suitcases can be seen beginning to pile up on top of each other before falling to the floor.

Other passengers can be seen frantically searching through the growing pile of bags to find their own belongings. 

The passenger who shot the footage said in the comments section under the video clip that a number of passengers tried to find the emergency stop button on the carousel, but had no success. 

A spokesperson for Jetstar told Australian media that it would contact BNE to investigate the cause of the incident. 

The mishap occurred almost a month after the Bali Provincial Government announced in February 2024 that foreign tourists would now have to pay a tourism tax of IDR 150,000 ($10.00) before entering the county.

Flight JQ 43 departed Melbourne Airport on time at 10:25 local time on March 18, 2024. However, barely two hours into the journey, the B787 Dreamliner had to turn around and land back in Melbourne. 

In a statement given to Australian media outlets, Jetstar said that 鈥渢he Captain decided to return to Melbourne to get assistance from the Australian Federal Police after a passenger became disruptive just under two hours into the flight.鈥�

A Jetstar flight to Bali has made an unplanned return after a female passenger became unruly and violent while onboard. Flight JQ43, travelling from Melbourne to Denpasar, was turned around halfway through its journey when the passenger became too disruptive for the flight to continue. In footage shot by other passengers, the woman can be seen going on a profanity-laced tirade and screaming at another passenger, before returning to her seat under guard. The plane returned to Melbourne Airport where the Australian Federal Police took over the situation. The flight has been rescheduled for 10am Tuesday morning.

Video clips shot during the flight and subsequently uploaded to social media show a woman screaming at other passengers. Witnesses said that the woman claimed someone had stolen her mobile phone during the flight and had started yelling at other passengers, even storming the cockpit at one point and banging on the door.

Other passengers helped restrain the woman while the flight returned to Melbourne.

Jetstar said the flight had been rescheduled to 10:00 local time the following day and passengers affected by the incident would be provided with hotel accommodation and other necessary expenses.

鈥淲e know this was a difficult experience for other customers and our team members, and we thank those who assisted with the situation,鈥� Jetsar精东影业 statement continued. 鈥淒ue to the circumstances, several crew members were unable to continue flying. The safety of our customers and crew is our priority鈥�.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is currently investigating the incident.

Passengers restrain man who became disruptive on a Qantas Bali-Melbourne flight

• Airlines
• Aviation Safety

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-01-04

The new collection is designed by renowned Australian fashion designer Genevieve Smart, one half of the fashion label duo, Ginger and Smart.

Over the past 12 months, Smart worked alongside 40 Jetstar pilots, as well as cabin crew and airport team members to complete the final design.

The new uniform, which features softer hues of orange combined with navy, will be worn by more than 5000 of Jetstar精东影业 frontline team members across Australia as well as at Jetstar airlines based in New Zealand, Japan and Singapore from late 2024.

According to Jetstar, the orange and blue color combination was inspired by the sunset as seen through an aircraft window.

Jetstar精东影业 current uniform will be sustainably disposed of in partnership with BlockTexx, a company that uses recycling technology to turn textiles into raw materials that are used to create new products.

鈥淲e鈥檝e listened to our people and together wanted to create a uniform that reflects how far we have come as we move into our third decade of operation.  With the help of Genevieve Smart, the newly designed collection caters to everyone and gives our crew more freedom to choose what they would like to wear,鈥� Stephanie Tully, Jetstar Group CEO said in a press statement.

鈥淪ustainability has been an important part of the process, including ensuring that Jetstar精东影业 current uniforms are repurposed into new products. Our new look uniform comes as we celebrate our 20th birthday in May and adds to our investment in new aircraft, new routes, and new cabins for our international widebody fleet to help customers fly to more places more often for less,鈥� Tully added.

Jetstar launches biggest cabin crew recruitment, aims to hire 700 by year end

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-06-07

The incident occurred on the tarmac of SYD airport when the A320 was being towed in preparation for a flight bound for Adelaide Airport (ADL). 

The driver of the Mitsubishi ute was attended to by paramedics, before being transferred to the Prince of Wales Hospital for treatment of minor injuries

Photographs of the incident, published on social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), show the shattered windshield of the Mitsubishi ute, which was wedged under the aircraft精东影业 right engine. The body of the car was also crushed under the weight of the aircraft.

No other injuries were reported, and no passengers or crew were aboard the Jetstar aircraft when the incident took place. 

鈥淎 Sydney Airport utility vehicle made contact with one of our aircraft, which was being towed to the gate without passengers,鈥� a Jetstar spokesperson said when confirming the incident to Australian media. 

The spokesperson also said the airline is working with SYD airport officials to investigate the incident. 

The incident caused disruption for travelers, as all flights scheduled for the A320 had been canceled for the day.

According to 9News Australia, the estimated cost of repairs to the A320 exceeds AUD500,000 ($330,000).

Greek startup airline plans to link Athens to Aegean islands with helicopters聽

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-07-03

Qantas said that the sale, which offers fares at up to 50% off, has been launched with the support of the Australian and Queensland Governments, and Tourism and Events Queensland.

The sale includes flights to and from most Australian capital cities for travel from mid-January to the end of March 2024.

Qantas domestic economy sale fares start from AUD 67 ($99) one-way, and Jetstar fares are up to 45% off, with sale fares starting from as little as AUD 79 ($53) one-way.

鈥淭ropical North Queensland communities and businesses have faced incredibly challenging circumstances during this holiday period,鈥� Qantas Chief Customer Officer Catriona Larritt said in a press statement.

鈥淭hese special airfares will help boost the region精东影业 recovery and rally Australians to visit North Queensland in the coming weeks and months,鈥� Lariat added.

Tourism and Events Queensland Chief Executive Officer Patricia O鈥機allaghan said: 鈥淭his is exactly what our operators need up north to get back on their feet and to make up for lost revenue over their peak holiday season.These are really strong price points which will encourage Australians to jump on a plane and take a holiday in Far North Queensland.鈥�

鈥淲hether it be enjoying a tropical oasis relaxing poolside or experiencing a great adventure, from snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, to marveling at ancient rainforest, exploring the local markets and dining at world-class restaurants 鈥� Cairns operators are ready to welcome you,鈥� O鈥機allaghan declared.

Ex-tropical Cyclone Jasper was formed on December 2, 2023 and dissipated on December 18, 2023. On December 12, 2023, Cairns Airport (CNS) was forced to close for a couple of days due to flooding in the area, including airport runways.

Cairns Airport: planes submerged underwater as tropical cyclone hits Queensland

• Airport

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-12-18

The Qantas Group, which includes , confirmed it was on track to deliver the financial performance for FY23 outlined in its May market update.聽

In the May 2023 update Qantas estimated underlying profit before tax of between AUD2.4 billion ($1.6 billion). 

In the update, released on June 27, 2023, the said it expects to carry more than four million passengers over the school holiday period.聽

Top domestic leisure destinations include the Gold Coast and Cairns, while new international routes including Sydney-Auckland-New York and Perth-Rome are heavily booked. 

The Qantas Group also confirmed it has taken delivery of six new aircraft since the start of 2023. 

This month, Jetstar received its eighth Airbus A321neo LR, with a ninth due in July with a total of 18 to be delivered by the end of 2024.聽聽

Qantas has received two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners since late April. A third aircraft, which will bring the 787 fleet to 14, is now expected to arrive in mid-July due to further delivery delays at Boeing.聽

Qantas鈥� eighth A380 is also expected to re-enter service in early July after engineering checks and cabin refurbishment. 

Three QantasLink 717s have now been retired 鈥� representing 15% of this fleet type 鈥� ahead of new Airbus A220s arriving later this year.聽

Akasa Air pilot精东影业 pay set to increase by 40% as carrier looks to cement loyalty

• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

2023-06-26