Christchurch's long-haul summer starts this month: what's flying and when

Air New Zealand's first Boeing 787-9 leaves Christchurch for Singapore on 28 October. Over the next six weeks, South Island travellers also get direct flights to Perth, Tokyo, Hong Kong and San Francisco, without changing planes in Auckland.

Christchurch Airport says this will be its biggest international summer yet. On its media page, the airport says airlines are adding new long-haul routes, more flights and larger aircraft, and some are running services past the usual summer peak.

The first flights start within a few days of each other. According to nomadlawyer.org, a secondary travel site, Jetstar's four weekly Sydney–Christchurch flights begin on 26 October and its three-times-weekly Perth–Christchurch flights follow on 27 October. Air NZ's Singapore service starts on 28 October and runs three times a week until 26 March 2027. On 2 November, Cathay Pacific restarts its seasonal Hong Kong flights with larger Airbus A350-1000s.

Air NZ's three new widebody routes, to Singapore, Tokyo and Perth, came out of an agreement with Christchurch Airport. RNZ reported that Air NZ chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar, airport chief executive Justin Watson and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced the routes at the TRENZ tourism event in Auckland.

"With aircraft returning to service, we're now in the fantastic position of being able to grow again, and we are delighted this is going to happen in the South Island," Ravishankar said, according to RNZ.

The growth follows a lean year. RNZ reported that soaring jet fuel costs had pushed Air NZ to cut flights and raise fares earlier in the year. The airline expected all its existing 787s back in service by late June, and all its Airbus aircraft back by 2027.

Watson said the new widebody services create "major opportunities for freight exporters, the tourism sector and our wider economy." Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston called the deal "effectively the first cab off the rank" after Luxon's trade mission to Singapore.

A Christchurch resident told RNZ what it means for travellers: "You had to fly to Auckland but now you can just fly directly. When you have kids one less transit makes a big difference."

The numbers

Nomadlawyer.org reports that Christchurch will have more than 1.27 million scheduled international seats between November 2026 and March 2027, up 21% on last season. Most of that growth is long-haul: widebody capacity is up 54%, or 130,000 extra seats. Trans-Tasman and Pacific seats grow by a smaller 11%, about 89,000 seats.

The same report puts China Southern's Guangzhou–Christchurch service at 103,350 seats, up 57%. That route runs daily, with three extra flights a week between December and February. It also has United's seasonal San Francisco flights at 25,190 seats, up 7%.

The schedule

Dates and frequencies are from nomadlawyer.org unless noted:

• Jetstar, Sydney–Christchurch: from 26 October, four flights a week.
• Jetstar, Perth–Christchurch: from 27 October, three a week. Christchurch Airport describes these as new seasonal flights running to March 2027.
• Air New Zealand, Christchurch–Singapore: 28 October to 26 March 2027, three a week on Boeing 787-9s.
• Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong–Christchurch: from 2 November for 13 weeks, on A350-1000s. Christchurch Airport says Cathay will fly five times a week during the peak summer months.
• Air New Zealand, Christchurch–Tokyo Narita: 28 November to 8 May 2027, three a week.
• Air New Zealand, Christchurch–Perth: 30 November to 7 May 2027. The report does not give a weekly frequency.
• United Airlines, San Francisco–Christchurch: 4 December to 26 March 2027, on Boeing 787-9s.
• China Southern, Guangzhou–Christchurch: daily, with three extra weekly flights from December to February.

What travellers should do

Check the dates and timetables on each airline's own booking site before you book connecting flights or set off.

Perth is the route where you'll have a choice. Jetstar starts in late October and Air NZ joins on 30 November, so it's worth comparing fares on both. Air NZ's Tokyo and Perth flights keep running into early May, which suits travellers who want to avoid peak-season prices. Singapore, United's San Francisco service and Jetstar's Perth flights all end around late March.

If you're travelling into Christchurch rather than out, book accommodation early. Nomadlawyer.org reports that Christchurch hotels were 96.4% full in February 2026, against a national average of 88.9%.