Qantas bulks up New Zealand flights over peak summer holidays

Qantas will bulk up its trans-Tasman routes by an extra 60,000 seats over the peak summer holiday period.

The 20 per cent boost in capacity throughout December and January will see the Sydney-Christchurch and Melbourne-Auckland routes gain seven additional flights each per week, with Sydney-Auckland getting six more.

The Sydney-Wellington route will get five extra flights a week; Melbourne-Christchurch and Brisbane-Queenstown another three each; and Melbourne-Queenstown two more.

The Flying Kangaroo said the increase would see it operate more than 3.3 million seats across the Tasman between January 2025 and January 2026, supporting tourism growth in both NZ and Australia.

Additionally, Qantas the same day announced it would soon introduce its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on flights between Auckland Brisbane, bringing Premium Economy to the route and increasing premium seat choices for customers by up to 80 per cent.

The 787 Dreamliner service will initially operate three times a week from August and increase to daily from October.

This marked Qantas’ second 787 service between Australia and NZ, in addition to flights between Auckland and Sydney as part of the airline’s direct service to New York.

Qantas international chief executive Cam Wallace said the increased capacity meant Qantas would have the most frequency between Australia and NZ in one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

“This capacity boost represents almost 60,000 more seats compared to last summer, giving our customers additional choice and more convenience as well as supporting tourism and economic growth in both markets,” he said.

Tourism New Zealand regional director Australia Andrew Waddel said the extra flights across all four major ports would mean even more options for travellers to kick start their Aotearoa getaway.

“We know Australians are interested in exploring the country’s tranquil coastlines, world-class cycling trails and unique food and wine, and the longer days and warmer weather make it a fantastic time of year to experience it all and more,” he said.

It comes just weeks after Qantas revealed it would launch direct flights from Perth to Johannesburg and Auckland from early December.

The flights would operate three times a week on an Airbus A330, offering 224 economy and 27 business class seats.