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China Southern Airlines will return to Christchurch Airport for the summer season this November, and it’s coming back bigger than ever, with a 26 per cent boost in capacity and a longer operating window that includes the Chinese New Year.
The popular Guangzhou–Christchurch service resumes November 1, 2025, initially with five flights per week before ramping up to daily service from December 18, 2025, through to March 3, 2026, perfectly timed for peak summer and Lunar New Year celebrations. More than 60,000 seats across business, premium economy and economy cabins will be available, giving South Islanders greater access to China and beyond.
This milestone year for China Southern marks a decade since it first touched down in Christchurch operating a single charter flight to prove our market back in 2015. Since then, the airline has flown over half a million passengers to the South Island.
For South Island exporters, the return of China Southern means a faster route for high-value produce, cherries, salmon, and other fresh goods, straight into the Chinese market and onto plates across Asia and Europe.
“Every flight carries more than just passengers,” says Christchurch Airport’s GM aeronautical development Gordon Bevan. “The belly of the aircraft delivers huge value for South Island businesses getting their premium goods to global markets.”
China Southern’s vast network via Guangzhou connects Kiwis to China and offers easy onward travel to hotspots like Thailand, Vietnam, Turkey and Nepal or further to destinations across China Southern’s Asia and Europe network.
The South Island is also home to more than 20,000 Chinese residents, most of which live in the Christchurch area.
“China Southern’s service means so much to our city, especially during Chinese New Year,” sys ChristchurchNZ chief executive Ali Adams.
“For so many in our Chinese community it’s an important bridge home. It’s a chance to be with loved ones, honour cherished traditions, and feel close to family, even across great distances. It also deepens the cultural and economic bonds between Christchurch and China in a truly meaningful way.”
China is New Zealand’s third-largest tourism market, with nearly 170,000 holidaymakers visiting last year. The South Island gains directly from these high-value travellers, who stay longer and venture further.
