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GOLD COAST Airport has launched Jetstar’s first direct service linking the city with Mackay.
The A320 aircraft will provide an additional 131,400 seats each year between the two destinations.
Gold Coast Airport chief operating officer Paul Donovan (pictured) says the service has been a long time coming, after collaborating with Mackay Airport.
“We’ve known for some time that the numbers stack up for this service, the passenger demand is there, so we had a strong business case to take to the airlines,” Donovan says.
“This new route will help satisfy a growth in demand for a direct connection from leisure, visiting friends and relatives and fly in fly out markets.”
Donovan says a passenger survey conducted by Mackay Airport shows that 85 per cent of passengers were calling for the service, with approximately 77,000 people making the trip via Brisbane annually.
Jetstar Australia and New Zealand CEO David Hall says the new flights were part of the airline’s growth strategy in the state.
“We’ve been serving Mackay and the Gold Coast region since we first took to the skies in May 2004,” Hall says.
“So this service is quite historic for us and Jetstar is the only carrier to provide a connection between Mackay and the Gold Coast.”
Hall says the airline operates more flights in Queensland than competitors, with fares starting from $79 for the new service.
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