Jetstar, the Melbourne, Australia-based airline, is looking to improve its punctuality and speed of operations. This series of changes will hopefully improve punctuality and reliability but will force travelers to arrive at the airport slightly earlier than before. The Chief Operating Officer of Jetstar, Matt Franzi, spoke about improving the reliability of the airline. He said,

"We know our performance hasn’t been up to scratch, and we are working hard to boost punctuality and reliability."

Series of changes that will lead to reliability improvements

Because of previous performance issues, the executives at Jetstar have rolled out a series of small changes that will look to help the punctuality of the airline. The airline has moved the check-in time and bag-drop time for domestic flights within Australia or New Zealand. The new deadline for passengers to check in and drop off their bags is now 40 minutes before the departure of the domestic flight. This is ten minutes earlier than the 30 minutes that were required previously.

Additionally, the check-in time and bag-drop deadline will be moved for international flights. The new deadline is now an hour before departure. This is earlier than the previously required 45 minutes for international travelers.

Besides changing check-in and bag-drop deadlines, the airline is also shifting the times that the gates close. The new deadline for boarding gates to close is now 20 minutes before the flight's departure. This includes both domestic and international flights. The airline says that this shift will now be in line with other low-cost carriers.

Franzi spoke about the various changes, saying,

"To improve our performance, we’re also recruiting more airport staff, cabin crew, and engineering team members and making changes to our check-in, bag drop, and boarding times to bring them in line with other low-cost carriers around the world. Everyone across the airline is committed to getting Jetstar to its best while delivering the lowest possible fares so our customers can fly to more places more often."

Jetstar looks to improve as future demand is expected to rise

The airline is working towards improving its punctuality, especially as the summer travel season is expected to be one of the busiest in recent years. Jetstar is also capitalizing on the increased demand by receiving its newest aircraft. The airline took delivery of its seventh Airbus-A321neo earlier this week. This aircraft offers the airline up to a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and also has a 50% noise reduction compared to previous-generation aircraft.

The newest delivered aircraft is comparable to its existing fleet. It offers an all-economy layout that seats 232 passengers. The aircraft is also expected to enter service in the next several days after the airline completes its final checks and inspections.

Jetstar has an additional 11 A321neos in order to bring its expected fleet to 18 A321neos. The airline is expected to take delivery of the aircraft through the end of next year. These aircraft are utilized on the airline's domestic network as well as its routes from Australia to Bali.