New Perth–Manila Route: Jetstar Adds Fifth Direct Asia Connection from WA

On the night of 27 November 2025, Jetstar Airways (JQ) launched its inaugural direct flight from Perth Airport (PER) to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), Manila, marking the first time the low-cost carrier has connected its West Australian hub with the Philippines.

Operating three times a week with the next-generation Airbus A321LR, this new route adds more than 72,000 seats per year and becomes Jetstar’s fifth direct Asia route from Perth, joining services to Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, and Bali (Denpasar).

Jetstar Airways

Attribute	Details
Country of origin	Australia
Parent group	Qantas Group
Year founded	2003
Operational model	Low-cost carrier
Headquarters	Melbourne, Victoria
Primary hubs	Melbourne (MEL) Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)
Key focus cities	Perth Brisbane Gold Coast
Fleet size (approx.)	99
Main aircraft types	Airbus A320 A321neo/A321LR Boeing 787 Dreamliner
Regions served	Domestic Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, North Asia, South Pacific
Total passengers flown	300 million+
Alliance/partnerships	Part of Qantas Group’s partner ecosystem
Recent strategic focus	Expansion into the Philippines and broader Southeast Asia; fleet transition to A321LR/A320neo
Upcoming fleet changes	Continued delivery of A321LR and A321XLR units

Jetstar’s Perth to Manila Route Details

Jetstar will operate the Perth–Manila route, serving the substantial Filipino community in Western Australia. Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Tully described the launch as “a new chapter for Jetstar’s WA operations.”

She highlighted Manila’s appeal to West Australian travellers — citing “great value shopping, tasty food scene, and rich history and cultural experiences.” Currently, the fares start from $229.

A Perth-based Jetstar First Officer, Daniel McKelvie — whose mother hails from Manila — said the direct flight “gives him a new direct link” to his mother’s home city. He added that he loves “the warm and friendly hospitality of Filipinos who always make me feel right at home.”

Jetstar’s Broader Asia expansion

The Perth–Manila launch forms part of a larger strategic expansion by Jetstar into the Philippines. Alongside the Perth to Manila route, the airline also plans a seasonal service between Brisbane and Mactan–Cebu International Airport (CEB), scheduled to begin 3 December 2025.

This route is set to add 108,000 low-fare seats annually on this route. The aircraft used on this route is the same as the one used in the Perth-Manila route.

This expansion leverages Jetstar’s increasing fleet of Airbus A321LR and A320neo aircraft, which offer fuel efficiency, lower noise, and improved comfort — enabling viability of medium-range international routes from Australia to Southeast Asia.

Jetstar launched/ announced 20 new domestic and international routes in the Asia-Pacific region since June 2024.

Jetstar’s services to Asia started 17 years ago. Here’s an evolution of the carrier’s operations to the most populous continent in the world.

• 2008: International operations from Perth began, with flights launched to Bali, Jakarta, and Singapore.

• 2010: Services to Singapore were discontinued in favor of the now-defunct Jetstar Asia operation.

• 2014: Flights to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital, were terminated.

• 2024: Singapore (Changi) returned to the Perth network, and new services to Bangkok and Phuket commenced.

In March 2025, Jetstar’s parent company Qantas Group submitted an application to the International Air Services Commission (IASC) for capacity allocation on the Philippines route. The proposal sought three weekly frequencies, operated using an Airbus 321NEO (232-seat configuration).

Qantas was seeking for “an allocation of 696 seats per week and unrestricted capacity on the Philippines route” on the following basis:

• “For a period of five years from the date of the determination for 696 seats per week;

• For a period of 99 years from the date of the determination for unrestricted capacity; The capacity will be fully utilised by 8 February 2026;

• The capacity may be utilised by Qantas, Jetstar or another Australian carrier which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas; and

• The capacity may be used by Qantas to provide joint services with any wholly-owned subsidiary and by any wholly-owned subsidiary of the Qantas Group to provide joint services with Qantas.”

Details of the Airbus A321LR Jetstar is Using on the PER-MNL route

Here are a few notes of the Airbus A321LR that Jetstar is using on the PER-MNL route:

Feature	Details
Aircraft type	Next-generation variant of the A321 twin-engine jet
Engine type	CFM LEAP engines (“neo” = new engine option)
Fuel efficiency	At least 15% lower fuel burn compared to previous engines
Noise reduction	50% reduction in aircraft noise
Range capability	1,200 km more range than the existing A320/321 fleet
Key domestic deployments	Melbourne–Cairns, Melbourne–Gold Coast
Key international deployments	Sydney–Bali

All of Jetstar’s A321LRs have 232 Recaro BL3710 slimline seats in a 3–3 configuration, each with a flip-down smartphone and tablet cradle. Here are some details of the seats, as outlined by aerolopa:

• Seat width: 18 inches.

• Row pitch:

  • 28.3″ in rows 2–17

  • 34″ in rows 18–19

  • 28.3″ in rows 20–28

  • 28″ in rows 30–39

  • Row 29 offers additional legroom

• Recline: 2 inches (with no recline in rows 17 and 18).

• Power: Each seat includes a USB-A power socket.

Jetstar comes in behind Philippine Airlines as the second carrier to fly between Perth an Manila. Philippine Airlines, which arrived in Perth in 2023, operates thrice-weekly on the 168-seat A321LR.

According to aviation publication Simple Flying, the flight between Perth and Manila will be up to seven hours and 25 minutes long, and that “the route from Western Australia has become Jetstar’s new longest nonstopservice on the Airbus A321LR“:

“However, in the southern winter of 2026, some LR-operated flights from Rarotonga back to Sydney will be timed at ten minutes longer. ….. Perth-Manila only ranks as the airline’s third-longest narrowbody service. Regardless, they’re all shorter than some of Jetstar’s new one-stop LR flights.”

All in All

The new Perth–Manila route underscores Jetstar’s aggressive post-pandemic growth strategy in the Asia-Pacific region.

For travellers, especially those in Western Australia, it delivers added connectivity, convenience, and often lower fares, with an aircraft with the following specifications:

Airbus A321neo (LR) fleet specifications

For Perth Airport and regional tourism stakeholders, the route promises to unlock new economic and cultural exchanges. For the Filipino diaspora in WA, it restores direct linkages to home, reducing travel friction and costs.