The TWU and Virgin’s administrator have both rebuffed an apparent intervention by bondholders as Queensland is reported to have struck deals with both final bidders.
The 268 services between 6-19 July include 14 return services between Wellington-Nelson and 13 services between Christchurch-Invercargill.
The airline's bondholders have reportedly drafted in a team of aviation experts to formulate a bid that would involve swapping their debt for equity.
The special offer was part of a wider sale on 200,000 seats, with 70,000 selling out by early afternoon at a rate 40 times higher than a typical day.
The Australian government has doubled down on its insistence that airlines can fill the middle seat after presenting new guidelines to passengers on Friday morning.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack, has surprisingly reignited the state vs Federal Government border row by demanding all states open up, Australian Aviation can reveal.