Jetstar, the "value-based airline" owned
by the Qantas Group, began Sydney-Honolulu service Dec. 27 and adds
Melbourne-Honolulu flights Dec. 29 as it continues to spread it
wings beyond the Australian domestic market.
Jetstar operates
a fleet of 24 A320s in Australia and on some short-haul
international services. But it began two class, long-haul service
with A330 wide bodies Nov. 23, and now operates direct from either
Sydney or Melbourne to Denpasar, Bali; Bangkok or Phuket, Thailand;
and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Jetstar said it
started Hawaii service next because it remains a popular holiday
destination for Australians, with visitation levels growing almost
9% last year. That included more than 60,000 first-time visitors in
2006, Jetstar said, citing Hawaii tourism statistics.
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to Andrew Compart at [email protected].