Prime Minister John Key says the regions should be "openly cheering"following the announcement.
"This is going to give New Zealanders more opportunities to visit family; businessmen another way to take trips; and international tourists another way to visit key tourism destinations in New Zealand."
However, I wonder what criteria Jetstar is using for assessing which cities should get its regional service and why we have so far missed out.
Tauranga is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Its economy is also surging ahead. Economic growth increased by 4.4 per cent in 2014, almost double the New Zealand average of 2.5 per cent.
Millions of dollars have been pumped into expanding the Port of Tauranga and research and development by central government, while investment in the kiwifruit industry is expected to create hundreds of new jobs.
Statistics from Infometrics show in 2014 Tauranga's job growth lifted 3 per cent to 58,739 people in jobs ahead of the national average of 1.7 per cent.
No doubt work-related travel is also increasing in the region but businesses - like everyone else in the Bay - face high costs when it comes to domestic air travel.
In November last year, the Bay of Plenty Times surveyed the cost of flights and found the cheapest flight out of Tauranga airport was only $100 less than a ticket from Auckland to Sydney.
Commenting on this and its impact on business, Trustpower's Graeme Purches said the company's employees often drove to other cities instead of flying because of the cost but it was something it had to put up with to be based in Tauranga.
Mr Purches said wherever possible flights were planned ahead of time at a lower cost, but there were times when someone had to fly at short notice, incurring higher charges.
There is a human cost too in that many Bay residents have family members living outside the region who they would like to see more often but are restricted by the cost of travel.
There is some hope that Jetstar will see the light.
It says it has not ruled out direct flights to Tauranga in the longer term as it goes head-to-head with Air New Zealand on regional routes later this year.
Jetstar's corporate communications manager, Phil Boeyen, says the company is looking in the long term and wherever growth is. If that is the criteria then it is hard to understand why Tauranga has not been included.
Alan Joyce, chief executive of Jetstar's parent company Qantas, has called on local communities to get behind his airline.
"If there's lots of support there that would get on our radar then we would be happy to look at Tauranga," he says.
I'm sure if they offered a Tauranga service, Bay locals will be willing to get on board.
What do you think?
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