Australia's Jetstar will commence a four-times-weekly non-stop service on the Cairns-Osaka route, after securing an agreement with Cairns International airport.
The carrier will operate Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the route, says Jetstar.
Qantas' low-cost unit formerly operated non-stop service on the Cairns-Osaka route, but eliminated the service in December 2008 owing to high fuel costs, which made the route unprofitable. The carrier originally wanted to reintroduce the service in December 2009, but negotiations with Cairns Airport and Osaka-Kansai delayed this.
"Securing a long term partnership agreement with Cairns International Airport was a clear catalyst for these new additional international flights for Cairns, and is important for it providing a platform for further sustainable growth opportunities," says Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan.
In Jetstar's 2010 fiscal first quarter to 30 September 2010, the low-cost carrier had 20% year-on-year passenger growth on its Japan routes, says Buchanan.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
