Alan Joyce ‘dreaming’ of Jetstar Japan opportunities

Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce has his sights set on the Land of the Rising Sun, suggesting Jetstar’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner orders may lead to additional services to Japan.

Jetstar has placed orders for 15 fuel-efficient Dreamliners, with the first aircraft to arrive mid to late 2013, the Australian reported

The new aircraft will “open up a range of routes where the economics didn’t work before”, Mr Joyce said.

“If we see an opportunity there where the business case works, where a presence in Japan allows us to put more long-haul operations in, which I think we will, and the 787s make the economics work, we will be putting those services in.”

Qantas has reportedly been buoyed by the response of the Japanese market to its low-cost joint venture, Jetstar Japan.

In related news, Qantas has refused to pay additional fees to aid in the construction of a new runway at Brisbane Airport.

Brisbane Airport Corporation may increase runway charges to between $2 and $4 per passenger.