Summary
- Direct Brisbane-Bangkok flights return after pandemic hiatus, connecting two popular tourist destinations.
- Jetstar’s 3x weekly service on Boeing 787 Dreamliners offers comfort, halving current indirect travel time.
- Brisbane Airport sees growth with Jetstar partnership, unlocking 500,000 low-fare seats annually.
It has been more than four years since Australia’s Sunshine State, Queensland, had a direct air connection to Thailand, but that is about to change as Jetstar is launching nonstop flights from Brisbane Airport to Bangkok in December. The last time these two tourist hotspots were connected was when Thai Airways was flying the route that was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
The dots are nearly all joined
Brisbane Airport (BNE), with the support of the Queensland Government, has led the way in rebuilding international connections post-pandemic, and reconnecting to Bangkok is one of the last pieces to fall into place. The new service is Brisbane Airport’s 32nd direct international connection, and it also marks Jetstar’s 20th Brisbane route, just as the low-cost carrier celebrates its 20th year of flying.
Photo: Jetstar
The three-time weekly service will depart Brisbane at 14:20 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from December 13, 2024, and return at 08:25 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. While the fares are low, the comfort level is high as Jetstar is using its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, which will be the only nonstop service between Brisbane and Bangkok and halve the current travel time via indirect routes.
Since forging a new partnership with Brisbane Airport in 2023, Jetstar has quickly expanded its services to unlock 500,000 new low-fare seats a year. These have been on nonstop routes to Tokyo Narita, Osaka Kansai, Seoul Incheon and Auckland in New Zealand.
Jetstar’s Boeing 787s Start Asian Invasion From Brisbane Airport
Jetstar has started a major expansion into Asia that will see its 787s flying from Brisbane to Tokyo, Seoul and Osaka.
The new service between Brisbane and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) is expected to bring in more than 190,000 additional inbound seats to Queensland over three years, worth AU$116 million ($77m) in overnight visitor expenditure and up to 630 jobs. Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said the route has been the most frequently requested in comments on Brisbane airport’s social media accounts over the past two years.
“A direct flight makes it easier for families and friends to connect and provides greater opportunities for Queensland exporters, with up to 15 tonnes of freight capacity on every service. Queenslanders have embraced the great value Jetstar offers, propelling it from Brisbane Airport’s 7th biggest international carrier to number two.”
Qantas is adding more flights from Brisbane
The return to Bangkok follows last month’s announcement that Qantas is opening a new route from Brisbane to the capital of the Philippines, Manila. The new service to Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) commences on October 28, 2024, and will operate four times weekly using an Airbus A330 widebody aircraft.
Photo: Brisbane Airport Corporation
Qantas QF97 will depart Brisbane airport on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 19:15 and arrive in Manila at 01:00. The return QF98 will take off from Manila at 02:45 on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and arrive in Brisbane at 12:20.
Qantas Expands IndiGo Codeshares From Singapore Changi Airport
The codeshare partnership between Qantas and IndiGo has expanded for the third time and now includes connections in Singapore.
Qantas is also adding more flights between Brisbane and Singapore Changi International Airport (SIN). From October 27, the national carrier will expand from seven to nine weekly services, and the additional flights will connect with the daily Qantas flight from Singapore to London Heathrow, cutting overall travel time from Brisbane to London by around four hours.
Have you been through Brisbane Airport recently? Let us know about it in the comments.