iscover
Jetstar has axed flights between Cairns and Darwin as of the end of October.
The low-cost carrier made the decision in May to drop the route, which operates up to four times per week, leaving Cairns-Darwin served only by Airnorth and QantasLink. The move does not appear to have been covered by local media at the time, despite a statement from a Jetstar spokesperson.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
“From Tuesday 29 October 2024, Qantas will increase flights between Cairns-Darwin from three per week to daily flights, and Jetstar will stop operating up to four weekly flights on the route as the airline explores redeploying its aircraft onto a new domestic route,” the spokesperson said in May.
“Qantas is also expecting to offer above daily flights in the 2025 peak dry season which means that travellers will have the choice of more frequent flights compared to today’s schedule, with an aircraft size more suitable to demand on the route.
“Jetstar customers booked to travel between Cairns and Darwin after Tuesday 29 October 2024 will all be reaccommodated on a mix of next available connecting Qantas or Jetstar flights departing on the same day.”
Jetstar in March announced it would be increasing service frequency and using larger aircraft on domestic and Bali routes in the NT, adding around 54,000 seats per year, or a 12 per cent increase over existing services.
The airline said flights from Sydney to Uluru would increase by two per week, adding 22,000 seats per year, with weekly services from Darwin to Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide also increasing during periods of high demand.
Additionally, starting on 3 July, Darwin to Melbourne services switched from A320 to larger A321neo aircraft, and from 2 August, Jetstar will fly A321neo LRs from Darwin to Bali and Adelaide, adding an estimated 2,200 new seats to Bali between August and October.
In Cairns, Jetstar last month announced a new service to the Sunshine Coast, a route formerly operated by Bonza before its collapse.
Flights will operate up to four times per week using A320-200 aircraft starting 3 December, and are expected to attract more than 4,000 passengers per month.
