Auckland Airport welcomes new daily Jetstar services to Singapore

Auckland Airport welcomed the announcement today from Jetstar of daily return flights between Auckland and Singapore commencing in March 2011, subject to regulatory approval.

Auckland Airport chief executive Simon Moutter said, "Today's announcement of new daily services between Auckland and the rapidly expanding Jetstar hub in Singapore is a significant step towards achieving greater connectivity and reach between the fast growing Asian markets and New Zealand."

The new services will feature two-classes on the Airbus A330-200 aircraft, and will offer a new Qantas Group international route from New Zealand through Singapore to multiple Asian and European destinations.

Auckland Airport believes the implications of this announcement are significant in terms of the enormous market growth potential, the rapid expansion in the Asian region of successful low-cost carrier networks such as Jetstar and the complementary nature of these trends with the airports own growth strategy to drive more travel demand out of Asia.

Mr Moutter said, "With one of the first Jetstar wide-body long haul services connecting from Auckland to Singapore, the low-cost carrier model is now being successfully applied to longer haul destinations, a very important development which we believe offers the New Zealand tourism industry a fantastic opportunity to link up with the rapidly expanding low-cost carrier network and markets in Asia."

"This news is very consistent with our own Asian tourism growth ambitions", added Mr Moutter, "Auckland Airport had recently signalled to the market an intention to invest further into building sustainable high growth markets out of Asia, and the additional 220,000 seats per annum from Jetstar announced today provides just some of the extra capacity we need to achieve this goal. It also offers a very differentiated and stimulatory service on a key route. This will not only benefit New Zealand tourism and trade but will provide New Zealand travellers with greater choice."

Auckland Airport general manager aeronautical business development Glenn Wedlock said that the growth ambitions of Jetstar are also very significant.

"With these new daily services to Singapore, the existing Jetstar onward connections into unique markets in China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan, and their stated ambition for further route expansion, Jetstar will help Auckland achieve significant travel growth from the wider Asian region - growth that is critical to New Zealand" said Mr Wedlock.

Today's announcement caps a busy period for Jetstar, coming on the eve of the first anniversary of their entry into the New Zealand domestic market, and just days after Jetstar announced an additional A320 aircraft to be based in New Zealand.

Jetstar Executive Manager Operations Mark Dal Pra made the announcement today in Auckland accompanied by Auckland International Airport and New Zealand Tourism officials.

"Jetstar continues to spread its wings out of New Zealand, Australia and increasingly pan Asia and this new daily service will bring unprecedented new opportunities, through lower fares, to drive more travel between Auckland and Asia," Mr Dal Pra said.

The new Jetstar services will support major New Zealand tourism initiatives including the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Mr Moutter said, "Auckland Airport is very proud to be associated with the successful and ambitious growth story of Jetstar."