Announced today, Jetstar will be connecting Brisbane passengers to Bangkok by offering a new non-stop service later this year, giving Queenslanders a direct route to Thailand for the first time since flights ceased due to the COVID pandemic.
The new service is slated to kick off on December 13 and will be offered three times per week, halving the journey time to eight hours when compared to current indirect routes. It will also be the first time that Queenslanders have been directly connected to Thailand since Thai Airways ceased flights in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The route – to be flown by a fleet of widebody 787 Dreamliner aircraft - is forecast to bring in more than 190,000 additional inbound seats to Queensland over three years, worth $116 million in Overnight Visitor Expenditure and up to 630 jobs.
"We are delighted to be reconnecting two long-time friends, Queensland and Thailand. This route has been the most frequently requested in comments on Brisbane Airport’s social media accounts over the past two years," Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaf said.
“A direct flight makes it easier for families and friends to connect and provides greater opportunities for Queensland exporters with up to 15 tonnes of freight capacity on every service.
“Queenslanders have embraced the great value Jetstar offers, propelling it from Brisbane Airport's 7th biggest international carrier to number 2.”
The new route is part of a major expansion of Jetstar’s Brisbane operations following a partnership with Brisbane Airport in 2023. The agreement has unlocked half a million new low fares seats a year with direct flights taking off from Brisbane to Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul and Auckland.
In two months from now, Jetstar will also launch new flights from Perth to Bangkok and Phuket. The new Brisbane flights, combined with the carrier’s existing routes from Sydney and Melbourne, mean it will operate up to 22 flights each week between Australia and Thailand by the end of 2024.
Jetstar Group CEO Steph Tully said the new route would provide Queenslanders with more choice of how to get to Thailand.
“With Jetstar’s three direct flights each week from December and great low fares, it has never been easier or more affordable to get to Bangkok from Brisbane and we expect this new route to be incredibly popular,” she said.
“This is our 20th Brisbane route in what is Jetstar’s 20th year of flying and we’re focused on delivering for our customers with more new routes and new aircraft on the way.
“We would like to thank the Queensland Government and Brisbane Airport for their ongoing support of low fares travel.”
Melbourne Airport ramps up flights from China
Today’s news comes at the same time new flights from Nanjing and extra non-stop flights from Shanghai will be introduced to Melbourne Airport.
China Eastern Airlines will increase flights to Melbourne Airport from Shanghai Pudong International Airport, and introduce new flights out of Nanjing Lukou International Airport from next month.
According to the Victorian Government, China Eastern Airlines’ new flights will also boost trade between Victoria and China, providing nearly 3,650 tonnes of extra air freight export capacity each year to strengthen China’s status as Victoria’s largest trading partner with two-way merchandise trade in 2023 worth $39 billion.
“Melbourne Airport’s first direct connection to Nanjing will help cement Victoria’s decades-long relationship with its Jiangsui Province sister-state, while also delivering more opportunities for our tourism and export industries,” Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said.
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