Last night the inaugural Jetstar flight from Cairns to the Sunshine Coast took off, connecting families and friends just in time for Christmas. The service will operate three times a week, increasing to four during the summer school holidays, creating an affordable link between two of Queensland’s most popular tourism destinations.
Onboard the flight were numerous families travelling for early Christmas gatherings, as well as tourists appreciating the direct connection.
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills welcomed the new service, highlighting its positive impact on Queensland’s tourism industry. “This new route brings people closer together, providing families with an easy, affordable way to be together over the holiday season and beyond,” Mr Mills said.
“It supports Queensland’s tourism industry by connecting domestic and international travellers with two great destinations. This allows them to stay longer, spend more, and explore the regions.”
On 13 December, Jetstar will also introduce the Sunshine Coast Airport’s first year-round trans-Tasman service, with flights to and from Auckland three times weekly.
Jetstar’s Executive Manager, Customer, Jenn Armor said the airline is excited to be offering more budget-friendly holiday options for customers in time for Christmas.
“Cairns and the Sunshine Coast are two of Australia’s most popular holiday destinations – with stunning beaches, swimming spots and scenery.
“These new flights are expected to be popular with both interstate and overseas tourists and we thank the Queensland Government, and the Sunshine Coast and Cairns airports for their ongoing support of low fares travel.
“Today’s launch is the start of an exciting fortnight for Jetstar, with the airline set to launch four new routes as its massive network growth continues.”
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said Jetstar’s new Cairns-Sunshine Coast service would be a great connector for two of Queensland’s iconic holiday hot spots.
“The flight connection from the Sunshine Coast to Cairns is a big win for Queensland,” Ms Natoli said.
“The state has set the vision for Queensland to be Australia’s destination of choice for domestic and global visitors and to grow the overnight visitor expenditure to more than $44 billion a year by 2032.
“As Cairns is an important gateway to Australia for international visitors, the direct flight link will also enable more international visitors to connect directly to the Sunshine Coast, which is a significant win for our region.”
Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker said Jetstar’s service to the Sunshine Coast would create new holiday options for a raft of travellers.
“While Cairns and the Sunshine Coast are both coastal, they’re quite different destinations offering unique, sought-after attractions. Jetstar’s new, direct flights mean visitors can enjoy the highlights of both regions easily and affordably, encompassing all of Queensland’s unforgettable experiences, from the Great Barrier Reef to exhilarating surf beaches.
“The new flights will also be ideal for those who travel often between our regions to visit relatives and friends.”
Ends.
VNR, Images and B-roll are available for download here. Passcode for download is: 5982
About Sunshine Coast Airport
Sunshine Coast Airport (SCA) is the gateway to the Sunshine Coast with more than 1.8 million passengers passing through the terminal in FY24. SCA connects the Sunshine Coast community to five destinations (Adelaide, Auckland, Cairns, Melbourne and Sydney) and is supported by five airlines (Air New Zealand, Alliance, Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia).
In July 2023, Sunshine Coast Airport was declared a Priority Development Area (PDA), with a new Development Scheme taking effect on Friday 27 September 2024. The Development Scheme will unlock opportunities that attract investment, drive economic growth and create jobs on and off airport. By 2040, it is estimated the airport will directly contribute $460m in total to Australia’s GDP. Jobs on airport are forecast to grow to 2,400 by 2040 and support a total of
3438 jobs (direct and indirect).
Sunshine Coast Airport Pty Ltd operates and manages Sunshine Coast Airport, the gateway to the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, under a 99-year lease from Sunshine Coast Council which commenced in December 2017.
