Qantas Airways to increase domestic capacity 9.6pc

AUSTRALIA's flag carrier Qantas has announced plans to increase capacity across its domestic route network by 9.6 per cent, including a number of new routes for both Qantas and Jetstar.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the company would increase capacity by more than 66,000 seats per week over the next nine months, with the addition of new aircraft to the domestic fleet and in response to the recovering domestic market.

"We are seeing improved demand domestically. The changes will see around 65 additional return services for Qantas and 120 return services for Jetstar. Seven additional aircraft will be deployed this financial year. In July 2010, we added a B767-300 to grow the east-west market of Sydney to Perth."

Mr Joyce said an A330-300 will be added from January with a further five B737-800s being added to the domestic network from March 2011.

"These aircraft will be deployed on a variety of growth markets, including the east coast, east - west and intra WA [Western Australia] markets," Mr Joyce said.

Qantas will commence direct Brisbane-Broome services next year, resulting in Broome becoming the third destination behind Perth and Karratha that Queensland passengers can fly direct from Brisbane. The new services will be seasonal, operating from April-October, to coincide with the Broome dry season.

This new service will join Broome-Melbourne and Broome-Sydney services, resulting in passengers from the popular tourist destination being able to fly direct from Broome to three east-coast destinations, as well as Perth.

"Jetstar plans to increase Australian domestic capacity by up to 30 per cent in this financial year. Last week Jetstar announced new services in Perth and Launceston and today detailed additional services to Cairns. Qantas and Jetstar now jointly operate on over 20 routes across Australia, including the high traffic Sydney to Melbourne route," he said.
(Source:www.schednet.com)