Jetstar to reduce international flights from Darwin in the wake of Qantas budget cuts

JETSTAR is winding back some international services and reducing domestic flights in the wake of Qantas budget cuts.

JETSTAR is stopping flights from Darwin to Manila and Tokyo and cutting other domestic and international services as part of an overhaul of its Top End flights.

The budget carrier said it will relocate three Airbus A320 aircraft to Adelaide and reduce the number of weekly services in and out of Darwin from 54 to 49 a week in response to what it said was "increased capacity and competition", particularly on international routes.

The move will see 93 flight attendant and pilot jobs cut from Darwin, but 120 new jobs created in Adelaide.

It follows the announcement last week that Qantas - which owns Jetstar - is planning to cut 1000 jobs as it tries to find $2 billion in savings over the next three years.

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From March 31 next year, Jetstar will stop its four times weekly service to Manila and Tokyo and decrease flights from Darwin and Singapore from nine per week to daily, with the Singapore flights now to be operated by Singapore-subsidiary Jetstar Asia.

It will also cut the number of Darwin-Denpasar flights from eight per week to daily and decrease flights between Darwin and Brisbane from nine per week to daily.

However, it will introduce daily flights between Darwin and Cairns, up from the existing three times a week service.

It comes as the airline announced it would locate four Airbus A320 aircraft in Adelaide from March as part of a move to establish a new cabin crew and pilot base in the South Australian capital.

"Jetstar has been clear in the past that our flying from Darwin is among the most marginal on the network," the airline said.

"It makes sense to base aircraft where there is more network growth as it keeps our fares low and ensures we have the flexibility to optimise our network and adapt to changing market conditions."

The new Adelaide base will create more than 120 new positions, on top of 40 existing jobs, the airline said.

"This month, Jetstar will begin direct services from Adelaide to Auckland and non-stop flights from Adelaide to Bali," Jetstar Australia and New Zealand chief executive David Hall said.

"Basing four aircraft at Adelaide will allow us to expand our schedule and add one extra daily flight between Melbourne and Adelaide and Sydney and Adelaide respectively.

"Our presence in Adelaide has more than doubled in the past four years and we believe the establishment of a dedicated crew base will provide a solid foundation to continue to grow low fares from the capital of South Australia."

Jetstar operates up to 88 domestic services each week from Adelaide and from December will offer up to six international departures per week to Bali and Auckland.

While three of the aircraft to be based at Adelaide are to be moved from Darwin, an additional aircraft is being moved from Melbourne.

As part of the new Adelaide base, Jetstar will recruit 40 pilots, 70 cabin crew members and a dozen ground staff.