Jetstar to exit flights to the US entirely as airline culls all routes to Hawaii

Australian budget carrier Jetstar will be axing a service that’s been in operation for almost two decades, shifting focus to another booming part of the world.

Australian budget carrier Jetstar will be axing their service from Sydney to Honolulu, following the airline’s decision to end flights to the same port from Melbourne in April.

The low cost carrier, a subsidy of the Qantas Group, will put an end to flights between Sydney and Hawaii from October his year — after servicing the route for 19 years. The decision makes an exit entirely from the US market for Jetstar, after the carrier started flying to Hawaii in 2006.

The final flight from Melbourne to Honolulu was on 30 April, 2025.

From October, Jetstar will no longer be able to Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

Jetstar’s decision to pull the pin on the US follows sweeping changes across the Qantas group — which announced two new international routes last week.

In a statement to news.com.au, a spokesperson for Jetstar said passengers booked on or after 24 October to Honolulu will be accommodated on a Qantas flight or issued a refund.

“We’re always looking for ways to provide more low fares seats on our most in demand routes,” the statement read.

“This network change will free up our Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to be redeployed to some of our most popular long-haul routes in Asia with plans currently being finalised.”

“Passengers booked to travel with Jetstar from Sydney to Honolulu after our last flight on Friday 24 October 2025 will be re-accommodated on Qantas services or offered a refund.”

The decision, which was announced earlier this month, also comes amid a global decline in US travel.

Australian travel businesses have seen bookings to the United States drop significantly. Picture: AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein.

Australian travel businesses have seen bookings to the United States drop significantly as Aussies, Canadians and Europeans choose to travel elsewhere amid President Donald Trump’s strict border stance and other controversial government policies like sweeping tariffs.

Flight Centre CEO and founder Graham Turner told news.com.au it was an “unsettled climate” impacting business travel, while tourists worry about passport control and others simply don’t want to go to the US “because they don’t like what Donald Trump’s doing”.

Flight Centre revised its 2025 financial year profit guidance from $365-$405 million to $300-$335 million with Donald Trump’s trade and entry policies being a “significant” contributing factor, and the one major factor that is “outside [their] control”.

However Qantas told news.com.au the airline is yet to see any material demand changes to the US.

Qantas is yet to see any material demand changes to the US, despite other markets seeing a drop. Picture Thomas Lisson

With the removal of Jetstar from Hawaii, Qantas will subsequently boost its flights between Sydney and Melbourne airports in place of the budget carrier.

Hawaii received more than 37,450 visitors from Australia in the first three months of this year, compared to 42,115 in the same period in 2024, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

While Jetstar has been removed from the US, the airline will still have several popular ports as part of its international network — being New Zealand, Singapore and Japan to name a few.

It is understood the changes to the network will “free up” Jetstar’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft which will be redeployed to some of the other popular long-haul routes in Asia.

Qantas will take over more flights to Hawaii following Jetstar’s exit from the US. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

The decision comes as Qantas announced earlier this month the expansion of their international network.

From December 2025, Australia’s national carrier will expand on the country’s western gateway to the world by adding direct flights from Perth to Auckland and Perth to Johannesburg.

At the announcement, CEO of Qantas International Cam Wallace said the new routes will join some of the airlines’ most popular overseas jaunts – including Perth to London and Perth to Rome, and the newly created Perth to Paris – and will expand on inbound tourism to Australia from the west.

Jetstar has pulled out of the US market for now.

“By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg, we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia, as well as generating new jobs for the state,” Mr Wallace said in a statement.

“These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network.

“Our new Perth to Auckland route offers a convenient one-stop connection for West Australians to New York via Auckland on our popular QF3 service while the new direct flight to Johannesburg provides a vital connection for customers in Perth to visit popular cities like Cape Town through our partnership with Airlink.”