Qantas, Jetstar making changes to Whitsunday, Hamilton Island services

Two Australian carriers have made big changes to flights in and out of an iconic Queensland holiday spot, with one destination being dropped by each.

Whitsunday service changes will see Qantas and Jetstar adding new routes and more flights. Picture: NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui

A budget airline will no longer fly into Queensland’s most loved holiday island, and its pricier parent won’t take you to the nearest alternative.

Changes to the Whitsundays Qantas network will see Qantas stopping flights to Proserpine, only flying to Hamilton Island, and Jetstar ceasing flights to Hamilton Island, only flying into Proserpine.

Qantas Group clarified both airlines would be adding additional flights, resulting in “more than 2300 new seats” on weekly Jetstar routes to Proserpine and a brand new Qantas service from Melbourne to Hamilton Island.

Jetstar Group CEO, Stephanie Tully said the dual brand strategy provided both airlines the ability to adapt their schedules to meet customer demand.

Qantas will no longer operate through Whitsunday Coast Airport while Jetstar adds more flights. Picture: Contributed

“Our Proserpine services are some of the strongest performing routes in Jetstar’s domestic network and we’re pleased to be able to offer thousands more low fares seats each week following these network changes,” she said.

“As a full-service carrier, Qantas is best positioned to service the demand from premium leisure travellers to Hamilton Island.”

They said as part of the network changes, Jetstar would add up to nine new flights to Proserpine per week from Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.

Qantas will provide a more premium experience for those travelling to and from Hamilton Island Airport. Photo: Supplied

Qantas would also launch a seasonal service between Melbourne and Hamilton Island using the new Airbus A220s, which it said would bring a “premium business class offering” to the route by providing larger windows, fast free Wi-Fi, and “specially designed seats for a greater sense of space”.

The news comes less than a year after Jetstar began operating a new route connecting Proserpine to South Australia.

The changes will roll out in late October, and Qantas Group said customers impacted would be contacted directly and re accommodated on next available services or provided with a refund.

Originally published as Qantas, Jetstar making changes to Whitsunday, Hamilton Island services