Jetstar Adds Adelaide to Sunshine Coast Flights

16th May 2016

Starting 30th September this year Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar will begin operating between Adelaide and the Sunshine Coast. The airline will serve the destination three times per week with direct flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Jetstar Head of Commercial and Operations Improvement Carly Povey said:

"The Sunshine Coast is one of our most popular leisure destinations and we're sure Adelaide holidaymakers, as well as Queensland tourism operators will warmly welcome today's announcement that a low fares airline option is now available on the route."

She also said she fully expects the new Adelaide-Sunshine Coast service to be as well supported by customers as was the service from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast.

Tim Dwyer, Sunshine Coast deputy mayor said:

"This is a tremendous show of support for our region from Jetstar and we can't wait to see more South Australians enjoying their holidays here and it also provides an opportunity for locals to sample the delights that South Australia has to offer."

Adelaide Airport Managing Director Mark Young welcomed Jetstar's announcement, saying:

"It's really pleasing to see Jetstar continue to expand its network out of Adelaide. South Australians will now be able to easily access the Sunshine Coast, while we also expect there will be plenty of Sunshine Coast residents who want to experience what Adelaide has to offer, including our world-class wine and seafood. The service will also connect the significant number of friends and families who live in the two regions."

Acting chief executive officer for Visit Sunshine Coast Simon Latchford said he expects the new route to be a major success:

"The South Australian Market offers tremendous opportunities for a destination such as the Sunshine Coast, with our year-round attractive climate and vast range of events. Our strategy has been to diversify our market base as widely as possible, and the start of direct Jetstar services from Adelaide complements significant growth in direct services from Sydney, Melbourne and across the Tasman."

According to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Regional Economics (BITRE), the Sunshine Coast Airport is the fastest growing major airport in Australia. Between February, 2015 and February, 2016 the Sunshine Coast Airport grew 23.9 per cent. For comparison, Gold Coast Airport is second on the list and it has grown "only" 12.2 per cent in the same period.