Jetstar expands trans-Tasman network and fares
Alexandra
700,000+ passengers and 145,000 new low-fare seats across the Tasman
Jetstar carried more than 700,000 customers on trans-Tasman services in 2025, a 9% uplift year-on-year, supported by the release of 20,000 promotional fares starting at $164 one-way. The carrier added over 145,000 low-cost seats and launched four new point-to-point routes that opened new regional nodes in New Zealand to Australian travellers.
New and seasonal routes
The network changes in 2025 and 2026 include the following route developments and seasonal services, designed to disperse visitor flow beyond major centres and into regional destinations:
- New routes introduced (2025): Cairns – Christchurch; Gold Coast – Hamilton; Sydney – Hamilton; Gold Coast – Dunedin.
- Seasonal service announced: Brisbane – Queenstown launching 15 June 2026 to connect Queensland directly with the Southern Lakes region.
- Affordability impact: Nearly 400,000 passengers used trans-Tasman fares under $200 in 2025.
Route summary table
| Route | Type | Launch/Season | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cairns – Christchurch | New | 2025 | First direct link from Far North Australia into South Island gateway |
| Gold Coast – Hamilton | New | 2025 | Improves access to Waikato and nearby marinas |
| Sydney – Hamilton | New | 2025 | Point-to-point alternative for travellers avoiding Auckland hub |
| Gold Coast – Dunedin | New | 2025 | Direct arrival into Otago’s gateway for nature and coastal activities |
| Brisbane – Queenstown | Seasonal | From 15 June 2026 | Links Queensland to Southern Lakes tourist circuit |
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Tourism effects and regional spread
By routing more flights into regional airports, Jetstar is targeting not only city-to-city traffic but also the “long tail” of tourism demand: smaller towns, coastal harbours, and inland lake districts. This has practical supply-chain effects — increased arrivals translate into higher seasonal demand for local transport, hospitality, and activity operators, including marinas and charter services serving the yachting and boating markets.
Operational and community benefits
- Greater tourism dispersal supports secondary hospitality businesses and seasonal employment.
- Direct connections reduce transfer time and can raise on-the-ground spend per visitor.
- New gateways create opportunities for marine operators to offer transfer charters, fishing trips, and yacht day rentals.
Stakeholder perspectives
Stephanie Tully, CEO of Jetstar, framed the expansion as a way to make Aotearoa more accessible to Australians by combining network breadth with low fares. That strategy is intended to create “more visitors, more choice and real benefits for local communities,” particularly for hospitality and tourism operators outside major centres.
Andrew Waddel, Tourism New Zealand’s Regional Director – Australia, emphasized that improved connectivity encourages Australians to consider both well-known cities and lesser-visited regional Destinations, leveraging direct flights to explore more of New Zealand’s coastlines, lakes and rural experiences.
Why this matters to sailing and boat rental markets
More point-to-point air links into regional ports mean faster, often same-day, access to marinas and charter bases. If you’re a skipper, yacht broker or captain arranging a charter, quicker turnaround of visitors can translate into packed weekends and fuller charter calendars. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats — in this case, literally for many coastal communities.
Practical implications for operators
- Marinas may need to scale berthing management and short-term moorings to handle increased day-trip demand.
- Charter firms should coordinate arrival timings with inbound flights to optimize pick-ups and reduce idle time for captains.
- Boat rental platforms can market bundled offers (flight + charter) to capture travellers landing on promotional fares.
Tips for travellers and small operators
For holidaymakers seeking boating time, keep flights and charter schedules aligned — book a marina transfer or a skipper-led charter in advance if arriving on promotional fares. For operators, consider dynamic pricing and targeted packages during peak inbound windows to convert airline-driven visitation into on-water activity bookings.
Bringing it all together, Jetstar’s route expansion and low-fare push in 2025–2026 is reshaping trans-Tasman access and nudging travellers toward regional New Zealand. The net effect is increased demand across hospitality, transport and especially marine leisure sectors: yacht and boat charter operators, marinas, superyacht service providers, fishing trips, and coastal activity suppliers stand to gain. Whether you’re planning a beach day, an ocean fishing trip, or looking to rent a small boat on a clear lake, tighter flight links make those plans easier to execute — and for anyone in yachting or boating, that’s good news. In short: more seats, more routes, more visitors — and more opportunities for charter, rent, captain services, marinas and Destinations focused on sea, lake and gulf activities.
