Jetstar reveals plans to become first airline to fly direct between Adelaide and Whitsundays

Jetstar’s new route will connect travellers between Adelaide and the Whitsunday Coast for the first time.

Jetstar will become the first airline to operate direct flights between Adelaide and the Whitsunday Coast from September with first tickets up for grabs next month.

On Monday the low-cost carrier revealed plans to operate the new flight service three times a week from September, connecting the two cities in less than three hours and creating 58,000 low-cost seats a year.

Whitsunday Coast Airport Director Commercial Operations Craig Turner said the flights would connect residents from the Heart of the Barossa to the Heart of the Great Barrier Reef.

“Thanks to this partnership with Jetstar, our Whitsunday residents can now be sipping wine in the Adelaide Hills while Adelaide residents can now enjoy relaxing in the tropical Whitsundays with three direct flights weekly from September,” he said.

“This will be a huge breakthrough for our region as it opens a direct flight route for the 1.2 million people who live in the Adelaide region including the popular wine regions like McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills.”

Jetstar will operate direct flights between Adelaide and the Whitsunday Coast three times a week from September. Picture: TEQ

Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox welcomed the addition of the new Jetstar service.

“This is our first-ever direct flight to the Whitsundays and sixth direct Queensland service after Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns and Townsville,” he said.

“Whitsunday Coast Airport is the perfect arrivals point for all of the wonderful activities available across the Whitsundays and just a 30-minute drive from Airlie Beach.

“The airport is also conveniently located just over an hour’s drive from Mackay for passengers travelling further afield.”

Jetstar’s Executive Manager, Customer Jenn Armor said the airline expected the new flights to be “hugely popular” and that it was great to have the support of Adelaide Airport and Whitsunday Coast Airport for the new route.

The new flight route is one of several introduced to Adelaide in the past year, including international airline VietJet Air’s Adelaide-Ho Chi Minh City one-stop flight routes.

Touching down in Adelaide for the first time last November, VietJet Air is the first Vietnamese airline to include Adelaide as a regular destination – adding to the international airlines operating over 35 non-stop flights into Adelaide weekly.

VietJet Air’s one-stop route service includes a stop over in Perth with return flights available five times a week, which Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said would provide “greater access into Asia.”

Minister for trade and investment Nick Champion said the VietJet flights had the potential to “unlock enormous benefit across trade and tourism for Vietnam” and the state.

“Vietnam’s rapid growth continues to place it at the fore of our state’s opportunities in South-East Asia,” he said.

“We know that international flights decrease the cost of trade while opening the door

to South Australian produce to enter an emerging and important market in our region.”