Qantas subsidiary Jetstar plans to expand its presence in Japan. On November 15, 2023, it announced plans to launch flights between Sydney and Osaka Kansai starting in April 2024. The route will be Jetstar’s third one to the largest city in western Japan.
The announcement comes just a week after the airline announced plans to refurbish its Boeing 787 fleet to provide better onboard comfort.
Sydney to Become Jetstar’s Third City Connected with Osaka Kansai
Jetstar’s flights between Sydney and Osaka Kansai will, subject to regulatory approvals, commence on April 1, 2024, and will operate three times a week. It will be the only non-stop option on the route.
Until April 7, 2024, they will operate with the following schedule:
- JQ13 / Sydney – Osaka Kansai / 11:20AM – 7:00PM / Tue, Thu, Sat
- JQ14 / Osaka Kansai – Sydney / 9:00PM – 8:35AM+1 / Mon, Wed, Fri
From April 8, 2024, until October 5, 2024, the departure time from and arrival time in Sydney will shift slightly due to the end of daylight savings time:
- JQ13 / Sydney – Osaka Kansai / 10:20AM – 7:00PM / Tue, Thu, Sat
- JQ14 / Osaka Kansai – Sydney / 9:00PM – 7:35AM+1 / Mon, Wed, Fri
Sydney will be Jetstar’s third destination out of Osaka Kansai. Jetstar, which was the first Australian airline to resume flights to Japan after the pandemic, resumed its Cairns – Osaka Kansai route in July 2022. The flights now operate five times a week. The airline also plans to launch flights connecting Brisbane and Osaka Kansai on February 2, 2024.
Given the schedule of the newly announced flights, it would appear that aircraft that will depart bound for Sydney will arrive in Osaka Kansai from Cairns rather than the same aircraft coming in from Sydney just turning around.
Outside Osaka, Jetstar also connects Tokyo Narita with Cairns and Brisbane. It plans to launch flights from Sydney to Tokyo Narita in April 2024 too.
Jetstar Plans to Refurbish Its Boeing 787s
All of Jetstar’s flights to Japan use Boeing 787-8 aircraft and the upcoming routes will be operatedusing the type too.
Currently, Jetstar’s 787s are equipped with 335 seats including 21 recliner seats in business class and 214 economy class seats. That said, recently, the airline announced plans to refurbish these and shift capacity toward business class. Specifically, the total number of seats will decrease to 325 while the number of business class seats will increase to 44.
The airline will also be making other modifications to the cabins including installing crew rest areas. The new crew rest areas will, according to Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully, allow the airline to “operate longer flights, unlocking the possibility of exciting new destinations like Sri Lanka and India.”
Summary
Thanks to Jetstar’s plans to launch thrice weekly flights between Sydney and Osaka Kansai, Australia’s best-known city and Japan’s second-largest metropolitan area will have a non-stop link. It will be the airline’s third route to Osaka Kansai in addition to the already operating flights from Cairns and a planned route from Brisbane.
The new flights, like all other Jetstar flights from Australia to Japan, will operate using Boeing 787-8 aircraft with 335 seats. That said, in the coming years, Jetstar will refurbish these aircraft and fit them with more business class seats, reducing the overall capacity to 325 passengers.
