The shutdown of the 20-year-old airline will result in 500 job losses and likely affect a large number of customers who had already booked their flights.
Here are what you need to know about Jetstar Asia’s closure.
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Jetstar planes sit idle on the tarmac at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport on April 12, 2020. Photo by AFP |
How many flights will be affected?
Sixteen intra-Asia routes will be impacted by Jetstar Asia’s closure, the parent company Qantas said in a disclosure Wednesday.
Many of the flights are between Singapore and popular travel locations such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang (Malaysia), Jakarta (Indonesia), Bangkok (Thailand), and Manila (the Philippines).
Changi Airport Group announced Wednesday that it would work to restore connectivity to the four destinations exclusively served by Jetstar Asia from Changi: Broome (Australia), Labuan Bajo (Indonesia), Okinawa (Japan), and Wuxi (China).
All Jetstar Airways flights to and from Australia with JQ flight codes and Jetstar Japan flights in Asia with GK codes will remain unaffected.
What will happen to customers’ tickets?
Jetstar Asia flights will continue to operate until July 31 with a progressively reduced schedule, it said in a statement.
The airline added that it would reach out directly to customers with scheduled flights before July 31 to inform them of any changes to your upcoming flight.
“If you are not contacted with any schedule changes, your original flight will operate as planned, and there is no action needed.”
Who will receive a refund?
Customers who have booked flights from July 31 onward will receive a full refund.
The airline said that it would contact each customer directly to discuss their options. Customers can also go to its website to request a refund immediately.
Customers with connecting flights to or from Australia, or traveling between Singapore and Bali, Manila, or Osaka, may be offered an alternative flight with a Qantas Group airline.
What is the reason for the closure?
Jetstar Asia has faced growing challenges in recent years, including rising supplier costs, high airport fees, and intensified competition in the region, Qantas said to explain its decision to shutter the airline.
“This has fundamentally challenged the low-cost airline’s ability to deliver returns comparable to the stronger performing core markets in the group.”
The closure of Jetstar Asia will unlock up to $500 million in fleet capital to be recycled into the Quantas’ core businesses and improve long-term returns.
Jetstar Asia’s 13 A320 aircraft will be redeployed to core markets in Australia and New Zealand to support fleet renewal and growth and create more than 100 local jobs and more low fares.
