Qantas to Cease Jetstar Asia Operations Amid Rising Costs and Fierce Market Competition

Jetstar Asia will continue to operate flights over the next seven weeks under a progressively reduced schedule, culminating in its final day of service at the end of July. The closure will impact up to 500 positions within the Singapore operation.

Despite the closure of Jetstar Asia, there will be no changes to services offered by Jetstar Airways (Australia) and Jetstar Japan, both of which will continue operating flights into and within Asia.

Established in 2004, Jetstar Asia currently serves 16 destinations across the region, including Bangkok, Bali, Jakarta, Manila, Osaka, and Kuala Lumpur. The airline has faced growing competitive pressure from rival carriers such as AirAsia and Scoot. Jetstar Asia is jointly owned by Qantas and a group of Singaporean investors.

As part of the restructuring, 13 Airbus A320 aircraft currently operated by Jetstar Asia will be redeployed to support increased capacity on domestic and trans-Tasman routes in Australia and New Zealand.

“Despite consistently strong customer satisfaction and operational performance, Jetstar Asia has been significantly impacted by rising supplier costs, escalating airport fees, and a highly competitive market environment,” a Qantas spokesperson said.

Qantas confirmed that affected Jetstar Asia employees will receive redundancy benefits and access to employment support services. The airline is actively working to identify redeployment opportunities for impacted staff within the broader Qantas Group or with other airlines across the region.