Expats and visitors in Australia will be able to get around the country by air more easily after national airline Qantas announced it will increase capacity on domestic Qantas, Jetstar and QantasLink routes this year and in 2013.

A range of changes, including aircraft upgrades and additional frequencies, will be made to provide greater choice and convenience for customers, the airline said.

Qantas will add extra services during peak times on core east coast business routes between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The reintroduction of Boeing 747 services on the Sydney/Perth route and more Airbus A330 services on the Melbourne/Perth route will increase capacity in the east/west market and give more customers access to the award winning Skybed product in business class.

Jetstar will increase capacity on routes between east coast capitals and major leisure destinations and QantasLink will increase capacity across Queensland with the introduction of F100 jet services between Brisbane and Emerald, complementing Q400 services and providing cascaded growth in key regional markets.

Further details about routes and timing will be announced in due course. A spokesman said that these measures will ensure that the Qantas Group maintains its profit maximising 65% market share, while retaining the flexibility to adjust planned capacity growth according to market conditions.
‘We are targeting our key east coast and east/west business markets providing an international standard flying experience on Perth services operated by the Boeing 747 and Airbus A330,’ said Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce.

‘Jetstar continues to focus on servicing profitable leisure markets and pursuing growth opportunities across Australia, with significant capacity increases planned on major routes,’ he explained.

‘Over recent years we have invested consistently in our domestic operations, with fleet renewal for both Qantas and Jetstar, the launch of cutting edge new check-in technology, the acquisition of Network Aviation to serve the resources market and the trial of the Q Streaming wi-fi inflight entertainment system. Our corporate customers and frequent flyers have responded positively. We are now seeing the most consistent levels of high satisfaction in the domestic network since 2004,’ he added.
He confirmed that the airline’s goal in the domestic market is to retain the 65% market share that enables the business to maximise yield and profit.
‘Alongside a comprehensive transformation programme for Qantas International and the continued growth of Jetstar in Asia, our robust domestic businesses position us strongly for sustainable growth over the long term,’ said Joyce.