Air New Zealand has unveiled plans to launch three new non-stop services from Christchurch to Singapore, Tokyo and Perth from late October this year.
The announcement, made at TRENZ 2026 at the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland, signals a major expansion of Christchurch’s international connectivity and is expected to support visitor dispersal and tourism spending across New Zealand.
Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar said the expansion has been made possible as Boeing 787 Dreamliners return to service and new aircraft join the fleet.
“Growth has been a long time coming so we’re very pleased to make this announcement. These destinations are highly sought after for tourism, leisure and trade,” Ravishankar said.
“Singapore and Tokyo connect Christchurch directly into the most important Asian hubs and onward markets. Together these services change how visitors can arrive, travel and spend time in New Zealand,” he added.
Beyond increasing seat capacity, the new routes are also intended to strengthen regional dispersal and international connectivity.
“They represent stronger, more direct pathways for visitors, exporters, businesses and communities across the South Island,” Ravishankar said, noting the “importance for Christchurch, but also for New Zealand’s international connectivity”.
The development follows a new memorandum of understanding between Air New Zealand and Christchurch Airport. Airport CEO Justin Watson described the agreement as “a long term strategic partnership that will see us create the conditions for further growth into the future”.
New Zealand prime minister Christopher Luxon said the Singapore route would strengthen access into South-east Asia, while Tokyo would serve as a North-east Asia hub.
“And through Perth we can access Europe in a much better way and much more convenient way as well,” he said, noting the importance of the new services for both tourism and cargo.
Ravishankar later revealed that Air New Zealand contributed almost NZ$12 billion (US$7.2 billion) in visitor spending to New Zealand in 2025, supporting about 100,000 tourism-related jobs in the South Island alone.
“We want to bring more visitors here, connect them to places they want to go to, and importantly, help ensure the value created by tourism stays in this country,” he said.
