Jetstar adds new international connection to Japan

Operated by Jetstar Airways, the existing Darwin-Singapore service will now continue on from Singapore to Osaka three times a week from 1 November 2012.

The everyday lead-in fare for the new route is AUD$359. A sale fare of AUD$259 is on offer for a limited time (see sale conditions, below).

The Darwin-Singapore leg will be operated by an A321 while the long haul Singapore-Osaka sector will be operated by an A330 with both economy and business class.

Jetstar Group CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said the new service would capitalise on the Jetstar Group’s growing presence in the Japanese market following the start of domestic services earlier this month.

“We always look for opportunities across the Jetstar Group to join the dots in our existing network to improve what we can offer travellers,” Ms Hrdlicka said.

“This new service means Darwin will be connected to Osaka as well as Tokyo, and by extension, to three other major Japanese cities via Jetstar Japan’s domestic network.

“For Australian and Singaporean tourists this new connection will make it easier to explore everything Japan has to offer.

“We expect this new link to encourage more outbound tourism from Japan, particularly combined with a domestic network that makes it more affordable to reach international flights to Darwin and Singapore.”

Jetstar Japan’s domestic fares are an average of up to 50 per cent cheaper than full service alternatives as part of what is regarded as a new era of air travel in the world’s third largest economy.

Japan is Australia’s fifth largest source of international tourists. Arrivals grew 7.5 per cent over the first four months of 2012 year on year. Similarly, visitors from Japan to Singapore jumped by about 20 per cent over the same period.**

The number of people visiting Japan is also climbing. Figures for the first five months of 2012 show a 45 per cent increase in visitors from Singapore to Japan and a 15 per cent increase from Australia.***

With this new service, the Jetstar Group will operate up to 31 international services per week to Osaka including long haul services from Cairns and the Gold Coast in Australia with Jetstar Airways and short haul international services from Singapore via Taipei and Manila with Jetstar Asia. Jetstar Airways also operates a A330 service from Melbourne to Singapore, which can then connect to the Osaka flight.

*Jetstar schedule Darwin-Singapore-Osaka from 1 November 2012

Darwin-Singapore                     Singapore-Osaka
JQ 64 18.20 – 21.20                 JQ 64 22.30 – 06.00           Thurs, Fri, Sun, (inc Mon from 17 Dec 12)

Osaka-Singapore                     Singapore-Darwin
JQ 63 10.30 – 16.20                 JQ 63 22.20 – 04.30           Mon, Fri, Sat, (inc Tues from 18 Dec 12)

*Flights subject to final regulatory approval.
** https://www.tourism.jp/english/statistics/outbound.php
*** https://www.tourism.jp/english/statistics/inbound.php

Source: Jetstar