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Christchurch Airport is set to see a 25 per centincrease in seat capacity on long-haul routes, with plenty of airlines making big changes.
Qantas is stepping up its game
From late October 2024, Qantas will add more than 175,000 seats between Christchurch and Brisbane/Melbourne routes.
Brisbane: Flights increase from daily to up to 12 times per week, adding 1700 seats each week.
Melbourne: Also moving to 12 weekly flights during peak times, with an additional 1700 weekly seats. Qantas already flies 14 times per week to Sydney and offers daily seats to Sydney on its alliance partner, Emirates, giving even more travel options to Australia.
“This is all thanks to strong demand and is a big vote of confidence in Christchurch and the South Island,” says Christchurch CEO Justin Watson.
Jetstar is flying high
Jetstar is adding a whopping 180,000 extra seats starting from December 15, 2024.
More flights on domestic routes and a shiny new Airbus A320 joining their New Zealand fleet – the first fleet expansion in New Zealand in more than a decade.
Melbourne: Extra flights and new timings starting December 15, with five weekly flights year-round.
Melbourne and Gold Coast: A daily service from December 15 until the end of January 2025.
Auckland: More daily flights kicking off on December 15.
Cairns: From April 2025, Christchurch Airport will have the first-ever direct flights to Cairns, running two to three times a week.
Plus, Jetstar is tweaking its Christchurch to Melbourne flight times to better connect with their long-haul flights to Asia, making it easier for you to hop from Melbourne to amazing destinations like Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket, Singapore, and Bangkok.
China Southern Airlines is back
China Southern will operate from October 28, 2024, to March 30, 2025. They are stepping up from five flights a week to daily services during the busy Chinese New Year period.
Cathay Pacific is expanding
Cathay Pacific is back with four flights per week from December 2024 until February 2025, and three flights a week in March.
United Airlines returns for summer
From December 6, 2024, United will fly three times a week between Christchurch and San Francisco.
Singapore Airlines is boosting its flights
Between November 23, 2024, and February 15, 2025, Singapore Airlines will increase from 7 to 10 flights per week. Their extra flights will link seamlessly with connections across Asia.
