PACIFIC BLUE BUCKS FLIGHT TREND
ALAN WOOD12 August 2008
Christchurch-based airline Pacific Blue Airlines has confirmed further international expansion despite an industry downturn that has crunched US operators.
The airline, which has been bullish on its ability to carve out new passengers on trans-Tasman routes, announced nine return services a week from Auckland to Sydney to start in October.
It has also added to its Pacific Islands network, and late last month announced a new daily Auckland to Melbourne service.
The airline will take delivery of another 180-seat Boeing 737-800 next generation aircraft in early September to fly the new Auckland-Sydney route, bringing the fleet number to nine. Pacific Blue chief executive John Bartlett said special Auckland-Sydney one-way launch fares from $199 were on sale now for travel beginning October 14.
Regular lead-in fares would start from $299.
Bartlett said that the prospect of flying between two of the South Pacific's key cities was driven by prospects for growth.
"It's a busy and popular route but we see it as under-served because there's no low-fare option ...
"(Expansion) is not driven by anything other than the fact that the business model is working well and there seems to be buoyancy in those markets that should enable us to do what we've done in all the other markets which is grow them," Bartlett said.
The airline will also begin new twice-weekly flights from Sydney to Vanuatu in October. The airline already has three flights a week to Vanuatu from Brisbane.
It is also increasing Sydney-Fiji flights to daily from the current five weekly flights.
Bartlett said the new services were part of an overall expansion plan for Pacific Blue and it was also looking at other routes in the region where choice of carriers was limited.
Asked whether there were further route announcements to come, Bartlett said the new services just announced would take on new plane deliveries including one that had just arrived and another due in a week or two.
There would be more staff to come in Auckland ground operations, and more people to be contracted in offshore ports, he said.
Auckland Airport chief executive Don Huse said the airport was delighted to see Pacific Blue further expanding its trans-Tasman services.
"Pacific Blue is the first low-cost carrier to operate on the Sydney sector, which is the largest single international route on offer from Auckland Airport," Huse said.
The new trans-Tasman and Pacific Island services will add 20 extra weekly flights to Pacific Blue's schedule.
"Four years ago we started with just a few trans-Tasman flights a week. With the new services announced today we'll soon have over 290 international and domestic flights a week," Bartlett said.
© 2008 Fairfax New Zealand Limited.
The Press
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