Jetstar takes off between Napier, Nelson and Auckland

Jetstar’s 50-seat Bombardier Q300 is due to take off from Napier around 9am and get a full water arch welcome from fire trucks on the runway at Auckland Airport an hour later.

The airline’s new regional routes launched on Tuesday with flights between Napier-Auckland and Nelson-Auckland.

Jetstar chief executive David Hall was also on hand for what he called a historic moment and a timely one, as exactly 10 years ago Jetstar commenced its first global service into New Zealand.

In terms of schedule, Jetstar has said previously aircraft and crew would be positioned overnight at each of its new destinations, meaning the first flight each day would take off from those regional ports.

The new services will provide a strong regional distribution option for worldwide visitors flying Qantas as well as Emirates, China Eastern, China Southern, American Airlines and their other partners, Mr Roberts says.

The routes are part of Jetstar’s new regional network which will see low fares for five routes between New Plymouth, Nelson, Napier, Palmerston North, Auckland and Wellington.

Jetstar said about 150 new pilot, cabin crew and ground staff jobs had been created as a result of the decision to launch regional flights.

He said as they did in rugby, Hawke’s Bay liked a bit of solid competition.

“Now we are flying Q300s regionally here as well”, he said.

He said the passion and determination the Hawke’s Bay’s business, tourism and political community had voiced for Jetstar to fly to the region had been impressive and it was an important market for the airline to pursue.

“And this is where it’s all begun, right here in Hawke’s Bay”.

“We’re quite excited and energised by the opportunity to compete in the regions”, Air NZ chief sales and commercial officer Cam Wallace said in the November edition of Australian Aviation magazine.

Jetstar’s arrival was “great news for friends and family, business people, leisure travellers and holiday makers who wish to connect domestically and internationally to Hawke’s Bay”, Story said.

Further, Hall said Jetstar had sold 30,000 regional tickets for less than NZ$50 a flight.

Return flights are being operated three times a day between Napier and Auckland and Nelson and Auckland initially, moving to four times a day from February next year.