The Allan Labor Government is boosting local jobs and bringing more visitors from the Sunshine state to Victoria, with new daily Jetstar flights from Melbourne Avalon Airport to Brisbane helping local aviation and tourism industries fly high.
Minister for Jobs and Industry Natalie Hutchins today joined Jetstar CEO Steph Tully and Linfox Airports Managing Director David Fox to launch Jetstar's new service between Melbourne Avalon Airport and Brisbane, marking the airline's 100th Australian route.
Backed by the Labor Government, the new daily Airbus A320 service will bring tens of thousands of Queenslanders to Melbourne, the Surf Coast and the Great Ocean Road each year in a win for tourism operators across the state.
Victoria has proudly been the home of Jetstar since it was established in 2004 and is the airline's largest base, employing more than 3,000 people across the state.
As Victoria's second 24-hour international and curfew-free gateway, the Government is backing the growth of flights at Avalon to attract more visitors, create more jobs and bolster the economy.
Tourism plays a significant role in powering Victoria's economy, with Melbourne maintaining its crown as the number one city for interstate overnight trips in Australia and welcoming 3.9 million visitors who spent $5.1 billion during the year ending March 2024.
The adjacent Avalon Airport Industrial Precinct continues to grow as a national intermodal logistics employment and economic hub with Australia Post, Cotton On, Petstock and Hanwha Defense Australia employing more than 2,000 people.
As stated by Minister for Jobs and Industry Natalie Hutchins
"This new service between Avalon and Brisbane is a great win for our regional economy and tourism jobs."
"Victoria is proud to be the home of Jetstar and to have played a key role in its growth and expansion along the way, as we mark 20 years since it first took to the skies."
As stated by Melbourne Avalon Airport Executive Chairman David Fox
"The launch of the new daily Brisbane service with Jetstar out of Melbourne Avalon Airport is testament to the strength of our long-term partnership with Jetstar. For us, this is more than just a new route-it's a step towards more opportunities for our passengers and a commitment to opening up of more routes for travellers across Australia."
As stated by Jetstar Group Chief Executive Officer Steph Tully
"Creating a direct link between Melbourne Avalon Airport and Brisbane will provide even more options for Victorians wanting to travel to Queensland at an affordable price. We thank the Victorian Government and Melbourne Avalon Airport for their continued support of low fares travel."
