Rotorua has missed out on being part of Jetstar's regional network.
The airline announced this morning they will be adding Nelson, Napier, New Plymouth and Palmerston North to their regional destinations.
Chief executive of Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, David Hall, made the announcement in Wellington. He was joined by
Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Transport Minister Simon Bridges.
"Today we're delivering on our commitment to bring low fares and increased competition to communities around the country," Mr Hall said.
Rotorua Airport chief executive, Nicole Brewer said Rotorua will continue to work closely with Jetstar - and long-term partner Air New Zealand - to explore these future opportunities.
The Rotorua bid was led by Rotorua Airport, alongside Rotorua Lakes Council, Destination Rotorua and Grow Rotorua, with input from stakeholders such as the Chamber of Commerce and various business and industry sectors.
Ms Brewer, said Rotorua's proposal focused on a robust business case with sustainable growth opportunities for both the region and the airline.
"From the beginning of the selection process, we indicated that the introduction of any airline to Rotorua Airport would have to present sustainable growth opportunities for everyone involved.
"While we would have been pleased to join Jetstar's network this year, we are continuing to focus on areas of long-term growth. For Rotorua, this means increased capacity, as well as encouraging more travellers to connect via air - rather than road - to and from Auckland, and a direct link to Queenstown.
"This Jetstar process has provided us with an important opportunity to progress our discussions with them, and highlight potential areas which were not originally on the radar, for example, options around delivering a Queenstown link.
"Jetstar have reiterated this morning that they would like to continue discussions with us, particularly around some of the opportunities that we highlighted in our proposal. Our discussions with them do not finish here."
In February, Air New Zealand introduced the Q300 aircraft twice-daily on the Auckland-Rotorua return route, providing an additional 31 seats per flight - the equivalent of a 30 per cent increase in passenger capacity and 16,000 additional seats per year.
"The increased capacity offered by Air New Zealand on the Rotorua-Auckland flights has been particularly beneficial for our business travellers as it is an efficient, cost-effective option. Similarly, our leisure travellers have also taken advantage of the cheaper fares and ease of getting to and from Auckland with these flights."
Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick said while it was disappointing Rotorua has not been selected as one of Jetstar's first four regional destinations, Rotorua Airport and Air New Zealand were continuing to focus on increasing both international and domestic air travellers to and from Auckland and the South Island, with Queenstown remaining a particular focus.
"One aim of the Rotorua 2030 vision is to increase tourism expenditure to $1 billion per annum and we are on track for that. Increased capacity and flight connectivity are critical for accommodating growing year-on-year demand and we will continue to focus on the Auckland and Queenstown links in particular, to offer travellers the best possible routes and costs."
