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Air New Zealand is reviving a pre-COVID seasonal service between Perth and Christchurch.
The Kiwi carrier will fly Perth-Christchurch three times per week from 30 November 2026 to 7 May 2027 using newly retrofitted 787-9 Dreamliners, adding up to 37,000 seats. It comes as more of the Air New Zealand 787 fleet returns from maintenance, and new aircraft are delivered.
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Perth is one of three returning destinations announced by Air New Zealand from Christchurch on Wednesday, the others being Singapore (commencing 28 October) and Tokyo Narita (commencing 28 November).
The route will compete with a Jetstar service set to run from late October to March.
“As New Zealand’s national airline we think about connectivity at a country level – where we can help open up the greatest value and opportunities for customers, for regions, and for the economy,” said Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar.
“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.
“The three new routes are a deliberate step to reconnect Christchurch directly to major global hubs in Asia, strengthen links into Australia, and change how the South Island connects to the world, including where visitors arrive and how they move through the country.”
According to Perth Airport chief commercial and aviation officer Kate Holsgrove, Christchurch and the South Island are “popular destinations for Western Australians to explore” and that the airport’s international traffic is “going from strength to strength”.
“It is great to see growth during a challenging time globally, demonstrating that Perth and Western Australia are great destinations, offering world class experiences,” she said.
“The service will deliver meaningful benefits for tourism and hospitality businesses across Western Australia, while making it even easier for visitors to experience everything our state has to offer.
“The launch of this service highlights Air New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to Western Australia and builds on its daily Auckland services, further strengthening connectivity between our two regions.”
Air New Zealand previously operated seasonal services from Christchurch to Perth until 2019, Singapore until 2020, and Narita until 2015.
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