Jetstar could start flights from Hawke's Bay Airport later this year and promises "low fares competition" in what will be a major shakeup for domestic air travel.
The low-cost carrier will use a fleet of five 50-seat Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft to fly to at least four regional centres initially. In
addition to Napier, other cities being considered include Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth and Palmerston North in the North Island and Nelson and Invercargill in the South Island.The new flights will break Air New Zealand's stanglehold on flying large aircraft to regional centres. Air NZ shares plunged by close to 10 per cent this morning after the Jetstar move into the regions was tipped by the Business Herald.Air NZ pulled out of three regional towns earlier this year and is closing its Eagle Air operation while putting bigger aircraft into the bigger cities. The airline made those moves and restructured regional fares after complaints they were too high.Jetstar is making the announcement in Auckland this afternoon with Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key.The airline said its new flights - due to start in December - would bring "low fares competition to monopoly domestic routes around the country".Jeststar is fully owned by Qantas whose chief executive Alan Joyce said the time was right to bring Jetstar's fares to the regions.
