Jetstar says it will provide more services, seats and create jobs when it adds another plane to its fleet - but will scrap its Christchurch to Queenstown service.
The airline announced this morning it will increase its New Zealand fleet from eight to nine Airbus A320 aircraft in mid-November, boosting services between Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch by 600,000 seats annually.
Jetstar will reduce services between Christchurch and the Gold Coast and Melbourne by one flight per week, continuing to provide three services a week and daily flights respectively.
However, it said it would cancel its five weekly services between Christchurch and Queenstown due to customers now finding it easier to fly to Queenstown directly than via Christchurch.
Jetstar said up to 36 weekly return flights would be added to domestic and trans-Tasman routes, with direct flights from Queenstown to Sydney and Melbourne set to rise.
The CEO of the airline in New Zealand and Australia, David Hall, said the new Airbus A320 would need to be manned by more staff.
"There will also be new jobs for over 50 Kiwis including pilots, cabin crew and ground crew in our New Zealand team over the coming months as we prepare for the ninth aircraft," he said.
Hall said there will be 20 more weekly return services between Auckland and Wellington, and seven more services between Auckland and Wellington to Christchurch.