Jetstar has unveiled plans to significantly expand its New Zealand operations, adding over 240,000 low-fare seats annually and enhancing tourism between New Zealand and Australia.

The first phase of this expansion includes new flight routes between Christchurch and Cairns, and Auckland and the Sunshine Coast, with tickets on sale from 12 pm today at jetstar.com.

Additionally, Jetstar will increase capacity on key domestic routes, including Christchurch to Auckland and Auckland to Wellington.

To support the increased operations, Jetstar will base an additional Airbus A320 aircraft in Christchurch from December, expanding its New Zealand fleet to eight aircraft.

This marks Jetstar's first fleet expansion in the country in over a decade.

Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully emphasised the significance of this growth.

"This month we’re celebrating our 15th birthday in New Zealand, and as we mark this milestone, we’re really excited to be entering such a significant period of growth," she said.

"Over the past 15 years, we’ve helped make travel more accessible for millions of New Zealanders, and this expansion will help to unlock hundreds of thousands of low fares and more choice for our customers and provide a significant boost to tourism on both sides of the Tasman."

Jetstar's recent operational improvements have seen cancellations drop to around one percent or less, with over 80 percent of flights arriving on time so far this year.

To celebrate the expansion, Jetstar is launching a 24-hour Route Launch Sale with low fares, including:

• Auckland to Sunshine Coast (Maroochydore) from $199 NZD
• Sunshine Coast to Auckland from $215 AUD
• Auckland to Wellington from $39 NZD

The sale begins at 12 pm today.