New international flights taking off from Brisbane
Jetstar is launching new direct flights to a popular international skiing destination from Queensland next year as Qantas also ups its flight offering.
Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully announced the new Brisbane to Queenstown route would operate three times per week during the snow season from June to October starting next year.
She said Jetstar was promising more than 17,000 low fare seats annually using a A320ceo aircraft so Queenslanders could reach Queenstown’s world-class ski slopes in less than four hours.
Jetstar’s Brisbane to Auckland route would also increase to twice weekly flights adding another 99,000 seats to the route each year.
Tully said this new route would give Queenslanders and New Zealanders more ways to connect.
“This is the fifth trans-Tasman service Jetstar has launched or announced this year – and our seventh new international route out of Queensland – making 2025 Jetstar’s biggest Queensland and Tasman expansion yet,” Tully said.
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said that Jetstar was now the second-largest carrier at Brisbane Airport for international travel and Qantas had also made improvements.
“Brisbane Airport is proud to be the home of the first international deployment of the Qantas A220. Its arrival marks a significant step toward the future of aviation, delivering quieter operations and lower emissions,” de Graaff said.
Qantas also announced the first international operation of its new A220 from Brisbane to Wellington from February 2026.
The A220 would operate three times per week in replacement of the E190 aircraft currently operating and some Boeing 737 services.
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The A220 is more fuel efficient and comfortable than its previous generation, and features a brighter cabin design, larger windows and overhead lockers, and faster Wi-Fi.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace, said this improvement marks a milestone for Qantas’ International network.
“The A220 is our newest aircraft and has some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the fleet, so we’re particularly excited to be offering the experience to customers travelling internationally from Brisbane-Wellington next year,” Wallace said.
