Jetstar is Bringing the World Back to Hamilton
By Sebastian Bezuidenhout
James Stafford | Jetstar NZ Sales Manager
James Stafford, sales manager for Jetstar New Zealand, spoke this Tuesday at the NZ Business Connect event held at Hamilton East’s ‘Cook’, where he announced Jetstar’s planned expansion into both the Trans-Tasman, and domestic New Zealand air carrier markets.
James Stafford, Jetstar New Zealand’s sales manager, spoke this Tuesday at the New Zealand Business Connect event held at Hamilton East’s ‘Cook’, where he announced Jetstar’s planned expansion into both the Trans-Tasman, and domestic New Zealand air carrier markets.
Mr. Stafford started with Jetstar’s history, charting a course form the company’s first flight in May of 2004, to their first Trans-Tasman flight in 2005 – Sydney to Christchurch – and then their entry into the domestic New Zealand market in 2009.
He then announced that the company would be adding four new routes: Hamilton to the Gold Coast and Sydney, Dunedin to the Gold Coast, and Christchurch to Cairns – all while adhering to Jetstar’s low airfare “bums on seats” philosophy.
The Hamilton routes would revive the airport’s international capacity, which has sat unused since Virgin Australia’s exit in August of 2012. Mr. Stafford said that this would bring 100,000 new passengers to the airport, and $40 million a year to the Waikato economy.
“We’re all about choice. We’re the only true low cost airline - we keep the air fair” - Mr. Stafford
Tony Brooks, speaking for COIN, a cryptocurrency platform that’s being developed in Tauranga, had two things to say to anybody weary about crypto: reputation is everything, and change is inevitable.
He assured attendees that cryptocurrency as a whole is nothing to be feared, and that like any other financial product, due diligence is the best way to keep yourself safe.
He also touched on COIN’s recent collaborations with established cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, which will allow COIN to go from being a digital currency to a genuine cryptocurrency. Mr. Brooks believes that cash is in its twilight, and that crypto will be the way of the future.
The last announcement of the evening was New Zealand Business Connect’s new member portal that allows users to network and innovate on a level never seen before. Members are also able to access exclusive discounts provided within the network from the portal. Discounts are already available on stays in partnered resorts in Rarotonga.
Phillip Quay, CEO of NZBC, closed the night with thanks to the speakers, and finished with: “The member portal is like a digital business card. It’s a great communication method. Watch out for Pulse in June.”
