Jetstar Asia to cease ops on July 31; over 500 employees here affected

It will continue to operate flights for next 7 weeks on progressively reduced schedule

- Kok Yufeng Transport Correspondent and Eileen Ng Correspondent

Singapore-based low-cost airline Jetstar Asia will cease operations on July 31 as part of a "strategic restructure" by its parent company, Australian flag carrier Qantas.

More than 500 employees in Singapore will be laid off due to the closure. The airline gave assurances that it will offer a range of support, including retrenchment benefits and employment opportunities, either within the Qantas Group or elsewhere.

Jetstar Asia said in a statement on June 11 that it will continue to operate flights out of Singapore for the next seven weeks, with a progressively reduced schedule until its final day of operations on July 31.

Qantas said 16 intra-Asia routes will be impacted by the closure of Jetstar Asia, with no changes to Jetstar Airways (JQ) and Jetstar Japan (GK) services into Asia.

Jetstar Airways' international services in and out of Australia will also remain unchanged.

Jetstar Asia flies to major hubs in South-east Asia such as Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, as well as other places like Bali, Surabaya, and Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The airline operates about 180 weekly services at Changi Airport and carried about 2.3 million passengers in 2024, accounting for around 3 per cent of the airport's total traffic.

Customers with bookings that are impacted by the announcement will be contacted directly, with the option of a full cash refund or an alternative flight where possible.

The budget carrier, which operates out of Changi Airport Terminal 4, has set up a dedicated webpage with information for its customers, and its Travel Alert page will be regularly updated with the latest advice.

But passengers told The Straits Times that they were unable to request refunds on the airline's website, and were also having difficulty getting help through Jetstar's contact centre.

Others were disappointed that the airline's closure had resulted in travel delays for flights on June 11.