Jetstar has announced it will boost the number of seats on flights between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne for four months.
The extra 34,000 seats will become available between March and June thanks to new flights and the use of the larger Airbus A321, enabling the airline to carry 40 more people per service.
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills said news of the additional capacity was a welcome start to the year.
“Melbourne is an important market for our airport. An additional 34,000 seats will improve connectivity with more flights and flexibility for thousands of travellers every week,” he said.
“The Sunshine Coast is an incredible holiday destination and it’s not surprising our friends in Melbourne want to visit our incredible beaches, hinterland and unique experiences.
“This connection offers immense benefit to tourism operators, local businesses and families.
“Jetstar’s announcement is another vote of confidence in the region and will support greater connectivity in 2025.”
Jetstar will put on 140 new evening flights and upgrade more than 170 previously scheduled services from 180-seat A320s to 220-seat A321s, meaning 14 per cent more sats on the route.
The additional seats and flights mean Jetstar will offer 350,000 seats between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne this year.
This announcement of the additional seats on the route follows the launch of new Jetstar services from the Sunshine Coast to Cairns and Auckland late last year which have been met with strong passenger demand.
Jetstar’s executive manager, commercial p3lanning, Lyle Brownscombe said strong demand for low fare travel in and out of the Sunshine Coast was expected to continue this year.
“This extra 34,000 low fares seats on Jetstar between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne between March and June will provide our customers with even more travel options,” he said.
