Low fares leader Jetstar has surged to become the second largest international airline in terms of passengers carried within the Australian market during May 2009 based on the release of the latest Federal Bureau of Infrastructure Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) international air traffic data.

The Qantas Group’s two flying brands – Qantas and Jetstar – for the month of May 2009 – and for the first time since the launch of Jetstar own international operations in December 2005 – held the top two positions in terms of passenger market share of Australia’s international aviation market.

Qantas continued to retain its overall long term market leadership during the month of May 2009 with 22.4 per cent of passengers, followed by Jetstar (9.0 per cent) and ahead of major competitors Singapore Airlines (8.8 per cent), Air New Zealand (8.7 per cent) and Emirates (8.0 per cent).

The Qantas Group’s total international passenger share in Australia for May 2009 was 31.4 per cent.

For the comparative month in May 2008 Jetstar increased its overall market share position by 2.8 percentage points and a comparative rise of 48.1 per cent of customers carried to 158,700 passengers.

Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Bruce Buchanan said the low fare carrier’s strongest ever monthly international market share performance reflected the sustained success of its international network performance, innovative development of new markets and how the Qantas Group’s two flying brand strategy was productively working.

Mr Buchanan said Jetstar’s continued expansion of its international operations had most recently incorporated the commencement of Auckland trans Tasman services (comprising daily Auckland-Sydney and Auckland-Gold Coast services) since 28 April 2009 and further growth of its base schedule on the Australia-Japan route moving to a daily Gold Coast-Tokyo A330-200 service since 29 March 2009.

“Jetstar’s existing strong market share growth will continue into the future supported by new market opportunities and a growing fleet. We believe we are providing new impetus to Australia’s tourism export marketing through own ongoing expansion into key source markets including New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and wider South East Asia from Australia and also via our Singapore hub,” Mr Buchanan said.

“Our vision for, and existing successful take-up of the Jetstar brand as a true Pan Asian consumer product, will continue to be underpinned by us maintaining a strong market position within Australia in terms of international air travel.

“Our innovativeness in developing international flying hubs in both Darwin and Perth by expanding near Asian flights and by becoming the largest airline operator on the Australia-Japan route over the past financial year has been the platform for Jetstar to now even better link Australia by air with the world.”

Australian international passenger traffic for the year ended May 2009 was 23.5 million, rising 1.2 per cent over the past twelve months, with Jetstar maintaining its 5th position overall in terms of annualized market share.

Mr Buchanan said over the medium term, and possibly within the current 2010 financial year, he anticipated Jetstar would on a permanent basis move into a Top 4 market share position amongst international carriers serving Australia, to be achieved via more international services coming on-line including from Perth (to Indonesia* and Singapore) and greater capacity out of Far North Australia..

* Subject to regulatory approval