Qantas mulls new Jetstar flights from Manila, Cebu to Perth, Brisbane

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MANILA, Philippines — Australian low-cost airline Jetstar is planning new flights to Manila and Cebu beginning November this year.

The executive manager of Qantas, Australia's flag carrier which owns Jetstar, Anna Pritchard sent a letter to the International Air Services Commission about the airline's intention to launch Perth-Manila and Brisbane-Cebu flights from November 27.

A copy of the letter was obtained by Australia-based The Philippines Times, the longest-serving Filipino newspaper in Australia.

The proposal is for the new flights to operate three times a week on an Airbus 321NEO with 232 seats, meaning, up to 696 people will be flown each week on both routes.

The Perth-Manila flights (JQ81) will be on Sundays, Tuesday, and Thursdays, flying out at 9:30 p.m. and arriving at 4:35 a.m. The return flights (JQ82) are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, flying out at 6:00 a.m. and arriving at 1:00 p.m.

The Brisbane-Cebu flights (JQ101) will be on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays flying out at 12:30 p.m. and arriving at 5:15 p.m, with return flights (JQ100) on the same day, flying out at 7:15 p.m. and arriving at 4:00 a.m.

Jetstar is aiming for full utilization of both flights by February 8 next year, to be utilized by Qantas, Jetstar, or any other Australian airline owned by Qantas.

Currently, Qantas operates a combined 11 weekly flights to and from Manila — seven weekly (daily) flights to Sydney and four weekly flights to Brisbane — on an Airbus A330, while Philippine Airlines has its own flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.

Jetstar last flew flights to the Philippines back in 2010 through a brief Darwin-Manila route.