1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,200 Speaker 1: Now competition's heading up for air New Zealand and the 2 00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: domestic market. Jetstar has announced today it's biggest ever expansion 3 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: in New Zealand with over six hundred thousand extra seats. 4 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 1: There's also a new daily route between Hamilton and christ 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Church and seasonal roots from Queenstown to Brisbane. Louise Upston 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: is the Tourism Minister and with us. 7 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 2: Now, Hi, Louise, good afternoon. 8 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:19,960 Speaker 1: How are you well? Thank you? You like the look of it. 9 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: Oh, it's great news. And look what it says is 10 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 2: that Jetstar and Quantus have real confidence in the market 11 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 2: in New Zealand and they're really confident about the direction 12 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: the government's taking in our absolute unabashed ambition for more 13 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 2: visitors into New Zealand. 14 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: What do you reckons more exciting the Hamilton christ Church 15 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: route or the Queenstown Brisbane route. 16 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 2: Oh, it's a bit of a toss up, but being 17 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: a sort of one that uses the Hamilton airport, that's 18 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,159 Speaker 2: got to be a pretty exciting one. 19 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: So purely from a self serving position, I like Hamilton. 20 00:00:52,760 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: Why why would it be anything else? No, Look, in 21 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: all seriousness, you know this is the single biggest expansion 22 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 2: ever of Jetstar New Zealand and also the Trans Tasman network, 23 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,960 Speaker 2: So that is a significant step for Jetstar and Quantus. 24 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 2: I think it's a really exciting day in terms of 25 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 2: increased options, increased choice and of course increased competition, and 26 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 2: it just gives more options both within New Zealand but 27 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 2: also more destinations that we can get to in Australia. 28 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,960 Speaker 1: Look, I look at something like this and the first 29 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: aught that comes to mind is why is in New 30 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: Zealand not being this confident and expanding. Do you have 31 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: some concerns about that that we've got an Australian carrier 32 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: who's prepared to up the number of seats while in 33 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: New Zealand just doesn't have that level of ability. 34 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: Well, I think in New Zealand would need to answer 35 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 2: any questions about that. You know, they've got it, had 36 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 2: a number of challenges that they have faced, but I 37 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 2: think this is a really positive sign for New Zealand 38 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 2: and for New Zealand tourism. What we do want to 39 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: do is attract more airlines to bring international routes into 40 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: the various airports cross New Zealand. So while Auckland will 41 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: see the Lion's share, it's really exciting to see jet 42 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 2: Star earlier this year coming into Hamilton, coming into Dunedin. 43 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 2: It gives lots more opportunities for those Australians that are 44 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 2: increasing in their numbers coming to our shores, the places 45 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 2: they land and therefore where they travel, and the businesses 46 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,640 Speaker 2: that benefit from that. So getting into more regions is 47 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: really exciting. But it also means there's more options around 48 00:02:31,480 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 2: schedules and price for domestic connections, and I think it's 49 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:40,399 Speaker 2: a really positive day for New Zealand to see Quantus 50 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 2: and Jetstar delivering six hundred and sixty thousand fewer seats, sorry. 51 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: More seats. Yeah, kind of the opposite, Louise, how do 52 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: we get people because everybody's obviously, I mean just look 53 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: at it. Look it's Brisbane to Queenstown, right, everybody loves 54 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: the South Island. How do we get these tourists to 55 00:02:58,720 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: love the North Island. 56 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 2: Well, that's where I think, you know, destinations like Hamilton 57 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 2: are really important. So it's getting people to fly into Hamilton. 58 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 2: They're then traveling around the central North Island the same 59 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 2: as Dunedin. So they might land in Dunedin and then 60 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 2: travel through a different part of the South island. The 61 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 2: regions are coordinating and collaborating, so the Southern Way is 62 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 2: working together to say, once somebody's landed in Dunedin, how 63 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 2: do we make it easier for them to explore parts 64 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: of New Zealand that they otherwise might not And so 65 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 2: it's really ensuring we get more visitors, we get more 66 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 2: Australians choosing to visit New Zealand and then encouraging and 67 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 2: enabling them to move around New Zealand and experience different places, 68 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 2: so that's where they land in the first place. But 69 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: also cheaper domestic fares also make it easier for international 70 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 2: visitors to move around the country and experience more places. 71 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: So that's an absolute one one. 72 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Louis appreciate it. Louis Epston, Tourism Minister. 73 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:05,920 Speaker 1: Hither Jetstar Asia shut down their operations and that's where 74 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: the planes have come from. For more from Hither Duplessy 75 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: Allen Drive. Listen live to news talks the'd be from 76 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.