Low-cost airline Jetstar will start flying from Canberra to Melbourne and the Gold Coast. Jetstar will begin flying between Australia's bush capital city and Melbourne in July and up to Coolangatta/Gold Coast in September. After launching Canberra - Brisbane flights in December, these flights will take the number of cities served from Canberra to three.

Jetstar's fresh focus on Canberra

Jetstar has traditionally bypassed Canberra. Many of the travelers passing through that airport are public servants and politicians flying on the taxpayer's dollar who favor full-service airlines like Qantas with its range of plush lounges at that airport. But the now-defunct low-cost carrier Tigerair Australia had also carved out a niche in Canberra, catering to those passengers who had to pay for their own flights. Jetstar is now stepping into that space.

From July 1, JQ654 will depart Melbourne (MEL) every day at 09:25 for the 65-minute hop up to Canberra (CBR), landing at 10:30. The all-economy class Airbus A320-200 will spend 35 minutes on the ground before taking off at 11:05 to operate JQ655 back to Melbourne.

"We’re excited to add an additional two routes into Canberra, following the success of our Brisbane Canberra flights which took off only a few months ago," says Jetstar CEO Gareth Evans.

More Jetstar A320s in Canberra

From September 16, JQ651 will leave Coolangatta/ Gold Coast (OOL) at 12:55 every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday for the one-hour and 40-minute flight down to Canberra. Again, it's a quick turnaround for the operating Airbus A320. JQ650 pushes back in Canberra at 15:10 on the same days and touches down on the Gold Coast at 16:40.

“For Canberrans, having a low-fares direct service to the Gold Coast will be welcome news, with the region consistently ranked as one of Australia’s most popular family holiday destinations. And the restaurants, shopping, and sporting events in Melbourne offer a great weekend getaway," adds Mr Evans.

Jetstar is/will compete against Virgin Australia and Qantas on the CNR - BNE and CBR - OOL routes, while Rex also joins the three airlines flying the CBR - MEL route.

Jetstar Airbus A320 Canberra Airport
A Jetstar Airbus A320 at the gate at Canberra Airport. Photo: Canberra Airport

Some welcome competition at Canberra Airport

Just 147 miles (236 kilometers) southwest of Sydney as the crow flies, Canberra Airport's proximity to far bigger Sydney Airport is its Achilles heel (along with Canberra's notorious winter fogs). According to Australian Government statistics, 113,000 passengers moved through Canberra Airport in February, making it the country's ninth-busiest passenger airport.

But no route in or out of Canberra made the top ten list in February. The Canberra - Melbourne city pair ranked 12th that month, with 63,500 passengers flying the sector. The Brisbane - Canberra city pair ranked 19th with 51,900 passengers, while only 40,800 passengers flew the Canberra - Sydney city pair in February, seeing that route ranked 27th busiest in Australia.

Qantas Group airlines (which include QantasLink and Jetstar) handle the bulk of passenger traffic in Canberra, with Virgin Australia and Rex mopping up the rest. Virgin Australia outsources its Canberra - Sydney flight to Link Airways, which, like Rex, uses 34 seat Saab 340s turboprops on that particular sector. While Jetstar doesn't operate turboprops, and its highly unlikely passengers will ever see their A320s flying between Canberra and Sydney, the low-cost airline's new presence in Canberra brings some welcome competition and choice to Australia's capital, particularly for passengers who have to slap down their own credit cards to pay.