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Jetstar has announced it will begin three times weekly direct flights between Adelaide and Hobart from November 14.
The first direct flights between the two cities since Tiger Airways pulled off the route in August 2010, the new services will be operated by 180-seat Airbus A320s on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
“Thousands of travellers already fly from Hobart to Adelaide via Melbourne, so we are excited to offer direct low fares between the two cities, making it even easier to travel,” Jetstar Group Chief Commercial Officer, Catriona Larritt, said in a statement on Monday.
“Both Hobart and Adelaide are experiencing record tourism numbers, and we expect inbound tourism to the two cities to further strengthen with the addition of our new direct flights.”
The new flight from Hobart will depart at 5:45pm, arriving in Adelaide at 7:15pm, with the return service then departing Adelaide at 7:45pm and arriving in Hobart at 10.05pm.
“The Adelaide-Hobart route has been our largest unserved market for some time. We know there is significant demand from customers to fly direct rather than via Sydney or Melbourne,” Adelaide Airport managing director Mark Young said.
Adelaide will become Jetstar’s fifth destination from Hobart, and the Qantas low-cost carrier subsidiary says it operates more flights to and from Tasmania than any other airline.
Lechuga
says:That’s not bad, a little bit more “semi regional” work.
john doutch
says:The recommencing of a route they used to fly but gave it up when transitioning from the 717 to the A320. The gave it a miss then because they could not make a profit on it. Has the ADL – HOB sector improved that much??
Lorraine Taylor
says:Great to have direct flight can now go to Hobart more often.
Ben
says:Third airline to give it a go in recent times, will it last this time… I’m not going to hold my breath.
Marc
says:Well Hobart-GC lasted 5 seconds and this will be the same.
Hob-Ade, two places with nothing to do. Maybe it might work. Red wine and chocolate, anyone?
David
says:This is great news to see more point to point flights between smaller capitals. Tourism and business will benefit. It’s good to have the option of flying direct to Hobart rather than via Melbourne and I’m sure the locals and overseas tourists will support it. Well done Jetstar
Arkair
says:Great to see a new link opened but times dont look good partivularly for business people. Doesn’t allow for connection in Adelaide to anywhere else particularly Perth, Darwin or international flights.. In to Hobart after 10pm means business passengers will need to stay at least one night. For them it would be easier and cheaper overall to go via melbourne for day trip. Best timing would be 7am ex hobart arriving Adelaide at 8.30 and depart around 9 back.alowing connections to from international services
Grace
says:I agree with morning flights benefits everyone, whether business or tourists. Arrival Adelaide 7:15 pm or Hobart 10:05 pm forces people in either city having to find hotel to stay overnight. People will weight the time and cost involved on Direct flight + Hotel vs 2 flights. The timing is not user-friendly…
Fragas
says:Thank heavens! At last a direct flight between two CAPITAL cities who have long been looked over by the eastern monopoly. The inconvenience and cost that has been an impost on travelers between the cities was a great deterrent to many. In our experience in previous direct flights it was a rare occasion not to have a full flight in both directions.
Daveo
says:Hi Marc
Obviously my this ignorant statement you have never been to Adelaide or Hobart.
David
says:The timing of the flights appear to look like add ons. The planes may have been idle for the night, so ets use them a little longer.
GBRGB
says:I still think a TSV -ADL service 3 days a week would be well supported, 2 completely opposite places often attract people.
franz chong
says:the timings are terrible.I will if I go to Tasmania again.AM LOOKING INTO IT FOR SAY 2020 OR 2021 at this stage will stick with going via melbourne va two flights on 737’s or QANTAS 737 transferring to the 717 onto Hobart either direction.Does this airline have any idea about what people want and where they want to go.what should be done is like Jetstar have with the ADL-BALI sectors a sensible outbound AND INBOUND schedule in the morning say 9am arrives 10:30am leaves around 11:15am to get back around early afternoon for HBA-ADL-HBA.
Teddy
says:@GBRGB
Perhaps a route like TSV-ADL falls into Air North E170 class.
Our mainline trunk airlines are fairly hopelessly hamstrung with over-sized aircraft (B738/A320) and poor economies of scale that preclude direct connections between the smaller major cities. They just didn’t have the economics to make smaller aircraft work – which doesn’t mean the routes or that class of aircraft are unviable, only that they are unviable for the major trunk carriers.
ADL-HOB would probably succeed as a daily connection if an E170 class aircraft was on the route – it only needed a suitably equipped carrier – of which there are relatively few in Australia.
Air North and JetGo appear to both be striving the fill elements of what has for some time been an obvious void in Australia’s air-route map – the direct connection of smaller cities. One hopes these venturous smaller carriers continue to expand and succeed in this market.
Judi
says:Strange times for the flights, but at least we have them. One would have thought a better route for considering, given the pollies and business travel, would have been to bring back a direct flight to Canberra/Hobart.
Arkair
says:Here’s a suggestion! How about extending flight and making it Adelaide – Hobart- Auckland and return? Even if overnight flight it would still be a service. Provide the trans tasman link that is missing! Better than keeping aircraft on ground all night. Agree with Judi that someone ought to do Canberra to Hobart. Jetgo should do it!
Gary
says:What about Launcerston to Adelaide? The population of Tasmania is split roughly 50/50 between North and South. I would think the pull would be the same?
Gary
says:My apologies to the residents of Launceston!
Roger
says:This is why we need more regional airline groups like Qantaslink. VARA doesn’t really do that much outside NSW or QLD.
danuta
says:this is great love to go to Hobart more hope will be for ever all best Jetstar
Alex
says:@Roger
If QF link had a spare 717 perhaps this would be a better fit? My only question would be does it have the range?
ADL – CBR would also be a good potential JQ route and would work better with the evening slots and could do a CBR – AKL overnight tag (thus giving ADL an extra option to AKL)
Would not eat too much into QF corporate traffic either.
Good to see a slight expansion nonetheless!
Nick
says:Jetstar Adelaide to Kalgoorlie would be great, we have no budget options and qantas use to operate this route, which I used all the time till it finished now have to fly the virgin Kalgoorlie to Melbourne instead, would be nicer to have a cheaper option
Peter
says:I have lived in Hobart for a decade awaiting this service which I would have used regularly, but have now left to be closer to family. However, this service still does not make a weekend in Adelaide (or vice versa) possible, like it is possible with other capital cities; so it will be poor patronised. At present a weekend in Adelaide from Hobart is actually a weekend sitting at Tullamarine.
If you fly it, they will go.
Mark White
says:This move is to be welcomed but what is even more needed is direct Townsville to Gold Coast return daily flights. In addition to this there is a need for flights linking Cairns to Townsville then direct to Canberra then onto Hobart and return. This would well serve Government and leisure markets and cut travel time, eliminate lengthy connection stops and as well cut the travel costs.
D W Bell
says:Having left Sydney in 1992 and lived in rural NSW for 25 years and travelled to Tassi in 2007, the current fleet mix and scheduling is a debarcale, no matter what brand of plane you choose to fly. Clearly, we were spoilit in 90’s, but with aledged fiscal constraints from the board rooms we have backed ourselves into a corner. Certainly the airlines do not want to end up like Ansett with 11 frame types to maintain, but flying f100 and 717 equipment that have been out of production now for many years when there are far more fuel efficent aircraft on the market is something that Mr Joyce and his team MUST look at. I am now sure why Virgin could not make a go of the E190’s, perhaps timing and route selection, but alas, they too are winding back the turbo operations. In essence the tassi market is tight, but unless someone challenges the schedule, this latest venture will surely fail as well.