This Content Is Only For Subscribers
As Lunar New Year travel ramps up, Auckland Airport is working with airline partners to add capacity between China and New Zealand, signalling growing confidence in sustained demand.
Air China is adding extra services for the Lunar New Year period, while China Southern Airlines has expanded flights this summer and confirmed further capacity across the winter months.
Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker says peak travel periods such as Lunar New Year provide a useful signal of how demand is tracking and how airlines decide where to deploy capacity.
“We work closely with our airline partners to support their growth plans and make sure AKL is ready for both peak periods and longer-term network development,” says Scott.
“Seeing airlines add capacity for the Lunar New Year and also commit additional services into future travel seasons reflects strengthening demand and supports the flow of visitors, trade and connections that matter for New Zealand.”
Over the Lunar New Year period, Air China will operate additional services between Auckland and Beijing, increasing from seven flights a week to 10 flights a week between Saturday, January 24 and Monday, March 2. This lifts available seats by 42 per cent during the world’s busiest annual travel period.
China Southern Airlines has already expanded services this summer, operating up to double-daily flights between its Guangzhou Baiyun Airport hub and Auckland, adding more than 30 return flights. The airline has also upgauged aircraft from a 296-seat Boeing 787-9 to a 360-seat Boeing 777-300ER for the summer months.
China Southern has now confirmed increased services across the New Zealand winter, planning to operate 10 flights a week from late March to late October. This is up by around a third on winter 2024 and returns the airline to pre-pandemic winter frequencies.
Direct travel demand between China and Auckland has strengthened this summer. Total traveller volumes on China–Auckland direct services across November and December were up 10 per cent compared with the same months last year, with average aircraft load factors of around 91 per cent.
Recent visa changes by the New Zealand Government, including simplified document translation requirements and electronic transit visas for Chinese nationals, have also supported demand. In November, New Zealand introduced simplified visa settings for Chinese travellers who already hold an Australian visa, helping drive a 44 per cent year-on-year increase in Chinese travellers flying between Australia and Auckland across November and December, with nearly 23,000 passengers using the route.
China’s introduction of visa-free travel for New Zealand passport holders in 2024 has also reduced barriers for outbound travel. Kiwi travel to China was up 13 per cent for the 12 months to October 2025, with China now the fastest-growing holiday destination for New Zealanders, up 39 per cent year on year.
Auckland Airport has also seen growth in international transit travellers connecting through major Chinese hubs, particularly for travel to and from Southeast Asia and parts of Europe.
Scott says the breadth of growth is notable.
“It’s not just direct flights picking up. We’re seeing more Chinese travellers combining New Zealand with an Australian visit, and more New Zealanders travelling to China. While direct capacity from Southeast Asia is still rebuilding, the Chinese mega-hubs and increased frequency between China and Auckland are helping fill that gap.”
Below the wing: freight capacity also lifts
Air travel is not only about passengers. With most of New Zealand’s air freight carried in the bellyhold of passenger aircraft, additional capacity is particularly important during the summer export season.
Scott says the extra services are vital for moving high-value fresh produce into Asian markets.
“Cherries are a good example. They’re in peak season in January and early February and are especially popular around Lunar New Year because the red colour symbolises good luck and prosperity,” he says.
Last season New Zealand exported more than 5,400 tonnes of cherries worth about $115 million, with close to 95 per cent going to Asia.
“For growers, that creates a short, high-value export window, and air freight capacity is what allows that fruit to arrive fresh and in top condition.”
While passenger aircraft provide most cargo capacity, China Southern Cargo has been operating a dedicated freighter two to three times a week on a Guangzhou–Sydney–Auckland–Guangzhou route since July 2025. Using Boeing 777 freighters with more than 90 tonnes of capacity, it is the first scheduled freighter service between China and New Zealand.
“It fills a freight capacity gap in the Oceania region and shortens transport times between New Zealand and China’s Greater Bay Area, one of the world’s largest manufacturing zones,” says Scott.
