29 Aug 2015

Jetstar's new routes known soon

12:24 pm on 29 August 2015

An announcement on Jetstar's new regional routes will be made within the next few days.

The Qantas-owned budget airline announced in June it would begin flying to four regional centres by the end of the year.

Jetstar planes.

Photo: AFP

One of the five 50-seater aircraft Jetstar plans to use was seen on Friday at Wellington Airport.

It's understood an announcement on where the new flights will go could be made as early as Sunday.

Seven centres are on the shortlist, including Hamilton, Rotorua, New Plymouth, Napier, Nelson, Palmerston North and Invercargill.

Some of the benefits Jetstar said its expansion would bring were competition, more affordable fares and new jobs.

All of the possible routes were serviced by Air New Zealand, which had already announced it was cutting fares in response.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs