Singapore-based budget airline Jetstar Asia will shut down on 31 July 2025. The closure is part of a strategic restructure by parent company Qantas and will result in more than 500 employees in Singapore losing their jobs.
Jetstar Asia announced on 11 June 2025 that it will continue to operate flights from Singapore over the next seven weeks. Services will gradually be reduced until its final day of operations.
Jetstar Asia Closure Impact: Routes, Refunds and Employee Support
The airline currently flies to 16 destinations across Asia. These include routes between Singapore and Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, Japan and Australia. These routes will be affected by the shutdown.
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Jetstar Airways’ international flights to and from Australia are not affected. Jetstar Japan’s services to other parts of Asia will also continue without changes.
Passengers with bookings impacted by the closure will be contacted directly. Customers will be offered full cash refunds or alternative flights where available.
Jetstar Asia operates out of Changi Airport Terminal 4. The airline has created a dedicated webpage and will continue updating its Travel Alert page with the latest information.
Employees affected by the closure will receive a redundancy package. This includes four weeks of pay for every completed year of service, a bonus for the 2025 financial year, and an additional payment to thank staff. Employees will also retain staff travel benefits for a period matching their years of service.
Qantas said it is working to help affected staff find jobs within the group or with other airlines in the region.
The Singapore Manual and Mercantile Workers’ Union said it has been working with Jetstar Asia’s management to ensure that employees receive fair compensation. Secretary-general Andy Lim said the union will also assist with job placement, career guidance and financial support where needed.
Rising Costs Force Jetstar Asia Shutdown Decision
Jetstar Asia said the decision to shut down was due to rising costs, including supplier fees, airport charges and aviation-related expenses. Increased competition and market capacity were also contributing factors.
The airline is expected to report a loss of A$35 million, or around S$29.3 million, before interest and taxes this financial year.
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Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said some supplier costs had risen by up to 200 percent. Jetstar Asia CEO John Simeone said these cost pressures made it unsustainable to continue offering the low fares that define the airline’s model.
Changi Airport Group said it is disappointed by the decision but respects the airline’s commercial reasoning. It said its priority is to support passengers and reduce disruption during the transition.
Jetstar Asia operated about 180 flights per week at Changi Airport and carried around 2.3 million passengers in 2024. This accounted for approximately three percent of the airport’s total traffic.
Of the 16 affected routes, 12 are already served by other carriers. Eighteen airlines provide over 1,000 weekly flights on these same routes. Changi Airport Group said it will work with airlines to boost capacity if needed.
Four destinations are currently served only by Jetstar Asia. These are Broome in Australia, Labuan Bajo in Indonesia, Okinawa in Japan and Wuxi in China. Changi Airport Group said it will work to restore connections to these locations.
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Jetstar Group CEO Stephanie Tully said the closure marks a difficult and emotional day for the company. She noted that Jetstar Asia had been part of the group for over 20 years.
Qantas will provide support to ensure Jetstar Asia meets its obligations while winding down. The airline’s 13 aircraft will be gradually reallocated within the Qantas Group to support fleet renewal and business growth in Australia and New Zealand.
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