• Jetstar announces 50% expansion of its Singapore hub, including landmark flights to Beijing*

Low fares leader Jetstar has today signalled further Pan Asian growth with a major expansion of our Singapore hub involving five additional A320s and two additional A330s and an extra 40 weekly flights by year’s end.

Among the extra services are flights to new destinations including a daily A330 Singapore-Beijing* service from 24 November, a three-times weekly A320 Singapore-Ningbo* service from 9 September and a four-times weekly A320 Singapore-Hanoi* service from 15 December 2011.

The new services announced today include additional flights to Taipei, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta. (Full details overleaf).

Jetstar Group Chief Executive Bruce Buchanan said by offering every day low fares, Jetstar would continue to stimulate demand as it extended its Pan Asian strategy.

“Jetstar’s Pan Asian strategy is supported by the booming economies of the region where a new middle class is fuelling an immense appetite for low fares travel,” Mr Buchanan said.

Mr Buchanan said Jetstar has carried almost 20 million passengers in the last year.

This makes Jetstar the fastest-growing airline to reach this milestone in just seven years of operation.

The Jetstar Group has grown from 400 employees in 2004 to more than 7,000 staff across the Asia Pacific today.

By the end of the year Jetstar will have 17 A320s and four A330s based in Singapore and additional capacity serving Singapore from our Australian business. This represents a growth in our Singapore services of almost 200 per cent since 2009.

“Last year Jetstar became the largest low cost operator serving Singapore, and with today’s announcements we plan to extend our lead,” Mr Buchanan said.

By the end of this year we expect Jetstar to be operating more than 3,000 flights per week to more than 60 destinations, across 17 countries with a fleet of 86 aircraft.

Jetstar Asia CEO Chong Phit Lian said the new services from Singapore offered a variety of destinations to suit both holidaymakers and business travellers.

“Our growing Pan Asian hub in Singapore helps Jetstar customers to connect to 28 destinations from Singapore including Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Perth, Darwin, Melbourne and Auckland,” Ms Chong said.

“Singapore is the gateway to a wide variety of destinations across the Jetstar network, and our low fares are making it easier for travellers to reach them,” she said.

Changi Airport Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lee Seow Hiang, said, "We are delighted to see Jetstar deepening its pan-Asian network through its Asian hub in Singapore. Jetstar’s additional services will give travellers more options and enhance Changi’s connectivity to the region. We look forward to working closely with Jetstar to fulfil its aspirations and realise its growth opportunities."

Additional flights for existing Jetstar Asia services: