Not a good sign for the runway extension

Stuff reports:

Jetstar is suspending its direct flights from Wellington to Melbourne, citing a lack of passenger demand.

It’s passengers will need to travel via Auckland or Christchurch from March 1, although Air NZ and Qantas still offer direct flights.

Those who have already booked Jetstar flights for March or later will be offered a full refund or the option of the extra stop en route.

“We launched our direct Melbourne-Wellington service nearly two years ago, however, despite continued efforts by Jetstar and local partners to promote the flights, we haven’t seen the passenger demand we’d hoped for,” a Jetstar spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

So if existing services are being dropped due to lack of demand, doesn’t that mean you should be very wary of the projections that a longer runway will lead to many more services, flights and passengers?