Jetstar Launches Overseas Dreamliner Service

Tuesday, 24th December 2013 at 04:37am

The flag carrier's budget subsidiary, Jetstar Airways, has finally launched an international flight using the new generation Boeing B787, with the Melbourne-Bali direct service.

The B787, also known as Dreamliner, is a long-range, wide-body aircraft that is touted as the world's most fuel-efficient aircraft to date.

Jetstar had been using the same aircraft in its domestic network between Melbourne and Gold Coast as well as Melbourne and Cairns for the whole month of November.

The aircraft is the first of its kind for the budget carrier and it will spend the whole summer on the Melbourne-Bali route.

The airline will soon launch similar service between major Australian cities and international popular resort destinations in Asia as soon as it takes delivery of more Dreamliners next year.

Starting in January 15, 2014, for example, it will replace the A330 plane on its Sydney-Bali route with Dreamliner. It will similarly pull out the A330 on its Sydney-Phuket route starting February 3 in favor of B787. Finally, on April 16 this year, it will start using the mid-size twin-engine aircraft on its Brisbane-Bali route.

The B787 is also scheduled to fly the trans-Tasman route between Melbourne and Auckland, New Zealand for one whole month, starting February 26 until March 28, 2014.

The airline spokesperson revealed that using Dreamliner for its Melbourne-Cairns and Melbourne-Gold Coast routes showed strong demand during its one-month run last November. The tickets flew off the shelves when they offered them on sale one month prior to the inaugural service.

Jetstar will gradually phase out its fleet of A330 aircraft until they take delivery of all B787 jets. By April 2014, for example, it will take delivery of one more Dreamliner to support its refleeting program of newer aircraft. Before the onset of 2016, it will have a total of 14 B787 jets in its fleet.

Where A330 aircraft flies on Jetstar's network, Dreamliner will supplant its operation. This means, travelers between Australian cities and Hawaii, Japan, Phuket and Singapore via Jetstar Airways, will have a chance to fly with the smooth-flying B787 jet.

The retired A330 jets will be turned over to its mother unit, Qantas, for some interior refitting and refurbishments before deploying them again to international routes, this time on Qantas network.

Jetstar currently flies to 19 domestic and 17 international destinations with major hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and Gold Coast. It has a fleet of 80 aircraft, consisting mostly of Airbus jets, only three of which are Boeing B787s.

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