Newcastle Airport has its first Singapore service after a Jetstar route via Bali commenced this week.
Flight JQ88 to Denpasar took off shortly after 10:15am on Tuesday aboard the A321neo LR VH-OYW, with all four of Newcastle’s weekly Bali services now continuing on to Changi Airport. Jetstar has increased from three to four Newcastle-Bali flights per week after launching the route last year.
“We’re thrilled to be launching this new service from Newcastle as we continue to grow Jetstar’s network. There’s strong demand in the Hunter for more low fares and more choice, and this route delivers exactly that,” said Jetstar head of network, strategy and fleet planning Ted Knight.
“With a smooth connection through Denpasar, customers can now travel from Newcastle to Singapore, giving them even more great value options to explore new destinations.
“By keeping fares low and expanding our network, we’re creating more opportunities for people to take off more, for less.”
Newcastle Airport opened its new international terminal in September, and CEO Linc Horton said the new route gives locals the opportunity to connect through Bali and Singapore without having to travel via Sydney.
“They say if you build it, they will come; at Newcastle Airport we built an international airport and today the Hunter region is flying to both Bali and Singapore, with more opportunities on the horizon,” he said.
“The Hunter is a region of travellers, with more than 789,000 passengers travelling between our region and Europe, the Middle East and Asia last financial year alone, enough to fill 60 Singapore Airlines A350 aircraft every week.
“These travellers are already flying through other airports, so imagine how many more holidays, business trips and family reunions will be created when those journeys can begin right here in Newcastle with direct connections.”
According to Newcastle Airport chair Samantha Martin-Williams, the new route “connects travellers across the Hunter, Central Coast and Mid North Coast to Singapore Changi Airport and its global network of more than 170 destinations, opening new pathways for tourism, trade and investment”.
“At Newcastle Airport, we made a deliberate decision to invest in international capability because we believed our region would respond and it has,” she said.
“In less than a year of strong demand for our Bali service, we are now seeing that confidence translate into expanded connectivity through to Singapore.
“This route strengthens our region’s ability to attract visitors, support local businesses and create jobs; both at the airport and across the broader visitor economy. It also sends a clear signal to international airlines that the Hunter is a growing, globally connected market.
“Strong performance on these services brings us closer to securing a direct Singapore route and even greater opportunities for our region.”
With the launch of the Newcastle route, Singapore’s Changi Airport is now connected to nine Australian cities, the others being Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, and the Sunshine Coast.
Credits: JetStar
