Auspicious Start For Qantas Subsidiary

A part repair and overnight maintenance cancelled budget airline JetStar's inaugural flight from Melbourne to Honolulu Friday night. The problem was spotted, according to the Australian AP, during final procedural checks as the first of 270 passengers began boarding.

"As part of the Qantas group we don't go into specifics of maintenance," Jetstar spokesman Simon Westaway said. "Obviously it's regrettable, and the fact it's a first service makes it very regrettable."

The Airbus A330 was due to depart at 7:40 pm (AEDT) Friday. Passengers were booked into hotels before flying out early Saturday.

"I'm disappointed in the way that the people were treated," passenger Christopher Montebello told ABC radio. "We spent two and a half hours waiting for the plane ... (before being told) there was some sort of technical problem and then, from the technical problem, there was no answer. People need to know what's going on, not ferried and pushed and shoved through the lobbies in and out of international services."

Jetstar's Melbourne-Honolulu twice-a-week service was launched two days after the airline started Sydney-Honolulu service.

FMI: www.jetstar.com, www.qantas.com