'No intention of moving': Jetstar fires back at Changi Airport's decision to relocate it to T4
Australian low-cost carrier Jetstar on Friday (July 22) rejected Changi Airport's decision to relocate its flights to Terminal 4, saying the decision was taken "unilaterally" and done in bad faith before any agreement had been reached.
In a statement issued 1.5 hours after Changi Airport Group (CAG) made the announcement on Friday that T4 would reopen on Sept 13, Jetstar said it was "extremely disappointed" at the decision, which "ignores our concerns and goes against the spirit of the long-standing partnership we have built over the years".
The airline said it has no intention of moving its operations from T1 to T4, and that it has informed Changi Airport Group (CAG).
"A joint study was only agreed to be undertaken last week and this announcement completely disregards that agreement and the impact a move would have on our customers, our people, and our operations," Jetstar said.
Jetstar Group has been operating out of T1 even before the pandemic, and most of its operations are located there.
Many of its passengers connect to Australian airline Qantas at Changi, and it is understood that moving to T4, which CAG said on Friday would take place on Oct 25, would disrupt its operations and could increase transfer time and pose logistical issues for its passengers.
Mr Mayur Patel, head of Asia at OAG Aviation, noted that the gates at Terminal 1 are getting increasingly congested as the number of flights increase post-pandemic. He said he was surprised that CAG made the announcement to move Jetstar before the consultation was completed.
He added that Jetstar Asia has always provided regional connectivity for Qantas flights out of T1, and the airline's move to T4 would make it inconvenient for transfers.
T4 is located a distance away from the other three airport terminals, which means that it is usually used for flights that have fewer transfers, such as regional flights or point-to-point flights like those between Singapore and Hong Kong and Korea, he said.
ST has contacted CAG for comments on Jetstar's statement.
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