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Newcastle Airport has celebrated its first permanent international route with the launch of Jetstar’s service to Bali.
Flight JQ88 took off from Newcastle shortly before 10am on Tuesday aboard the A321neo LR VH-OFL, having landed as JQ89 from Denpasar just after 7:30am. Flights will operate three times per week, bringing more than 70,000 seats per year between Bali and the NSW Hunter region.
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“We’re thrilled to see our first Newcastle to Bali service take off today, giving travellers in the Hunter region a direct, low-fares link to one of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations,” said Jetstar chief executive Stephanie Tully.
“This route means more convenience and more choice for our customers, and it’s another step in our mission to help Aussies takeoff more.
“We want to thank Newcastle Airport and the NSW Government for their support in making this new international connection a reality.”
The launch of the Bali route follows the opening last month of Newcastle’s new international terminal, which expands the airport to eight gates, including its first aerobridge and is expected to more than double its capacity.
The airport has launched or announced new routes to Perth and to Hobart over the past few months, which CEO Linc Horton says are “all performing above expectations”.
“We know airlines are watching how the Hunter responds, and we expect that strong demand for this service will lead to more flights and new international routes being added in the future,” he said.
“This new route offers our passengers the opportunity to begin their holiday sooner, with the added comfort and efficiency of flying from their local airport.
“This new international service represents a significant moment for both Jetstar and Newcastle Airport, as the airline that launched its first commercial flight from Newcastle in 2004 now leads the region into its international future.”
Andrew Warrender, Newcastle Airport’s executive general manager for airlines and governance, said the Bali service is “game changing” for the Hunter region.
“It means people don’t have to go to Sydney to connect to the world. It means they save all that time and money. They can enjoy it on their holidays or going to do business in other parts of the world,” he said.
“Bali is a great first route. It connects us to places that we’ve never been connected to before. I think we’re up to a huge number of one-stop destinations now from Newcastle.”
The NSW government last year signed a memorandum of understanding with Newcastle Airport for two years of funding from the state’s Aviation Attraction Fund after the commencement of new routes, to entice carriers to launch services.
The airport previously signalled it could host daily international flights, including to New Zealand and Singapore, once the upgrades were complete.
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