Jetstar extends NZ domestic, trans-Tasman flight cuts out to end of June
Thursday, 23 April 2026
Qantas’ low-cost carrier Jetstar will extend its cuts to New Zealand domestic routes by 12% to the end of June, as concerns about fuel supplies, particularly jet fuel, continue.
In late March the company announced it would cut 12% of domestic New Zealand and trans-Tasman flights by 12% to mid-May, and last week, it announced further capacity changes across the group - changes that will see Kiwi fliers impacted up to four times more than Australians on Jetstar through to the end of June.
An analysis from industry publication AeroRoutes has looked at the new forecast in flight cuts out to the end of June, finding on the Auckland to Christchurch route, 365 flights will become 310 flights, while Auckland to Wellington will become 142 flights per month, down from 195.
Trans-Tasman routes are also affected - mainly on the Auckland to Sydney and Auckland to Brisbane routes.
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Overall, the airline will do about 1564 flights in the six-week period in New Zealand, whereas it would have usually done 1200 flights each month.
Since the Qantas Group provided outlook guidance at its first half financial results at the end of February, jet fuel prices have more than doubled and remain highly volatile. The group had hedged 90% of its second half exposure of crude oil, but said it was “largely exposed to movements in jet refining margins… which have increased from US$20 per barrel in February to a peak of around US$120.
“As a result, the estimated fuel cost for [the second half of the 2025-26 financial year] is now A$3.1 – 3.3 billion”.
Jetstar is also cutting 2.7% of domestic Australian flights in the same period, and Qantas is also culling 3.6% at the same time.
Airlines around the world are slashing routes to cope with present and forecast short to mid-term foreasts showing fuel stocks becoming vulnerable through the Strait of Hormuz closure.
Jetstar told The Post most changes will affect flights on days with multiple frequencies or during off peak periods to ensure customers were recovered as quickly as possible.
It also said impacted customers were “offered re-accommodation options on the same day and trans-Tasman passengers within one day of their original booked travel dates.”
Air New Zealand, meanwhile, has announced about 4% of its domestic flights will be canned through May and June - primarily off-peak and lower-demand services, with regional hubs hit particularly hard - for example, dozens of flights out of Nelson and Tauranga to Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, and a reduction of flights out of Marlborough to Wellington and Auckland.