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Jetstar’s non-stop Newcastle-Cairns service will return in 2025 following a successful 2024 season.
The low-cost carrier will operate three A320 flights per week from 2 July to 24 October 2025, for a total of more than 18,000 seats during the winter season.
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“These are the only direct flights between Cairns and Newcastle, allowing customers in the south to escape up to tropical weather in winter, while giving residents of Far North Queensland easy access to the Hunter Valley wine region,” said Jetstar’s executive manager, customer, Jenn Armor.
“We thank Newcastle Airport for supporting the route, allowing our customers to take off more with low fares.”
According to airport CEO Dr Peter Cock, the route saw 27,600 passengers travel through Newcastle Airport during the 2024 season, up 87 per cent on 2023.
“It’s a great vote of confidence from our region, seeing such strong growth in passenger numbers reflects the demand for easy and accessible travel to amazing places and shows just how much this connection to Cairns is valued,” he said.
“We are working hard to provide the people of the Hunter with more travel options and are proud this popular route with Jetstar is one of the first to be announced.”
Newcastle Airport is currently carrying out upgrades partly funded by a $55 million grant from the federal government, which will see an overhaul to its international terminal, including passenger and border processing facilities, to better support international flights to and from the airport.
Originally slated to be completed this year, the terminal overhaul will now be finished in 2025.
The airport has signalled it could host daily international flights, including to New Zealand and Singapore, once the upgrades are complete; additionally, it saw more than 4,500 responses to a July survey about the possibility of services to Perth, which would open up another connection between the east and west coasts.
The airport also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the NSW Government this year which will see it given funding from the state’s Aviation Attraction Fund (AAF) to attract and maintain new routes.
The state government expects Newcastle Airport’s $250 million upgrade to bring in 850,000 additional passengers per year, generating $6.2 billion in the visitor economy as well as $6.5 billion in additional freight over the next 20 years.
