Jetstar chief executive Bruce Buchanan said he was pleased to announce the year-round, two-flights-per-week schedule, to almost 30 Wakatipu tourism and business operators, at the airline's regional update with the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, yesterday.
"We will obviously look to seasonally increase that over the winter period," Mr Buchanan said.
"This is a big commitment for us. It really builds on when we came here a year ago ... We said we would build up our presence in Queenstown, we were going to build the infrastructure, we're going to get the RNP [required navigation performance] approvals, get our pilot training facilities up and running, get the infrastructure on the ground and come back and add some more flights."
Mr Buchanan said New Zealand's second largest airline was also adding an extra weekly service from Auckland to Queenstown, from December 16, which would take the total number of flights per week to 11.
The extra Auckland and Australian links will lift yearly seats into the resort by 40%, he said.
Chairman Alistair Porter said chamber members were optimistic Jetstar would expand its seat capacity, after a successful first year.
"We're absolutely delighted - 72,000 yearly seats is absolutely amazing and extremely good for Queenstown.
It's huge additional growth."
Mr Porter said the Gold Coast hub would allow Queenstown to mine new markets.
He predicted a much stronger second and first home market as the resort became a convenient base for commuters.
The carrier received "phase three" approval for its $10 million RNP programme installed on its New Zealand fleet, which helped pilots land at Queenstown Airport in poor weather and saved fuel, Mr Buchanan said.
"Our network into New Zealand is now quite extensive. Since starting in Christchurch in 2005, we've launched transtasman services into Auckland and recently we announced the first long-haul service from Singapore to Auckland.
"That's a huge investment of $150 million ... We've got the ability to funnel people throughout China, Southeast Asia, Malay, Thailand, so huge opportunities for us, not only to continue to grow what I understand is the backbone of the Queenstown economy, which is Australian visitors coming across the Tasman, but also the ability for us to tap into new markets in southeast Asia."
Queenstown Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said it was great to see Jetstar become an international carrier into Queenstown.
"We are especially pleased to open up a new route from the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is a hub airport for Jetstar and has extensive direct connections from Japan and Southeast Asia.
"A convenient link to Queenstown is now available, and I am sure this will stimulate the Japanese and Asian markets," he said.
