Air NZ makes Christchurch–Singapore year-round, adds Bali for winter 2027

Air New Zealand's non-stop Christchurch–Singapore flights will now run all year. The airline had planned to stop them on 26 March 2027.

The change was announced in a release issued just after the first flight left Christchurch on 28 October. Air NZ said it was the airline's first widebody flight on the route in six years. The same release announced a new non-stop service from Christchurch to Denpasar, Bali, over winter 2027.

"This afternoon was a proud moment for our team as we celebrated the return of our Singapore service and we're going a step further by making that connection a permanent part of our international network," Air NZ chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar said in the release.

The Bali flights are expected to run three times a week through to the end of August. Air NZ says bookings should open "later this year". It has not given a start date or fares.

Air NZ also hasn't said how often the Singapore flights will run once summer ends, or on what aircraft. The figures published so far are for the original summer season only. Singapore news site Little Big Red Dot reported that the route launched at three flights a week on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, adding 34,300 seats before the planned 26 March finish.

Air NZ isn't the only airline on the route. Singapore Airlines already flies daily between Singapore and Christchurch all year and adds extra flights in summer, the same site reported. From November 2026 to February 2027, the two alliance partners will run 15 flights a week between them. Air NZ's release says the year-round service builds on that alliance, with connections through Singapore's Changi Airport.

Air NZ last flew the route in 2020. Air NZ's 787s are returning to service after being grounded for engine maintenance, and new ones are arriving, Little Big Red Dot reported. That freed up aircraft for the route. Changes across the joint Air NZ–Singapore Airlines network will add 72,000 seats between Singapore and New Zealand from late October, a 17% increase, taking the total to more than 490,000 seats through late March, the site reported.

Two more long-haul routes start from Christchurch next month, and both are still seasonal. Flights to Tokyo Narita start on 28 November and run until 8 May 2027, the site reported. Perth starts on 30 November and runs until 7 May 2027. Both use the 787-9.

"Christchurch is an important part of Air New Zealand's future, and these new routes reflect the confidence we have here and the opportunities ahead for the South Island," Ravishankar said. "We're being deliberate about where we grow."

"This is a great example of our new partnership with Air New Zealand in action," Christchurch International Airport chief executive Justin Watson said in the release. "It's exciting to see that already turning into more destinations and more choice for Kiwi [sic]."

What travellers need to know

• Singapore: Air NZ plans to keep its Singapore non-stop through winter 2027, so South Island travellers wouldn't need to route through Auckland. The winter schedule and frequency haven't been published, so check before building connections around it. Singapore Airlines' daily flight remains the other non-stop option.
• Bali: Not on sale yet. There are no dates or fares.
• Tokyo and Perth: These are confirmed only until early May 2027. Air NZ hasn't said whether either will run year-round.