iscover
Qantas will switch its evening Queenstown–Sydney service to early morning later this year.
The 8pm trans-Tasman service will move to 7:30am from November, offering more convenient connections with international flights leaving Sydney for destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
Where Queenstown passengers currently have to travel via Auckland or stay overnight in Sydney to catch morning connections, Qantas says it will now have a reliable morning flight across the Tasman and will also be able to connect more easily to domestic Australian services.
“We’ve designed our new trans-Tasman schedule to make it easier for Kiwis to connect to international destinations. This latest change is all about making those connections even smoother,” said Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace.
“We’re carrying more passengers across the Tasman than ever before and this winter we’re offering even more direct flights to Queenstown than last year.”
Todd Grace, Queenstown Airport’s chief operating officer, has welcomed the schedule change, which will make Qantas the only airline operating early-morning flights across the Tasman from Queenstown.
“The majority of trans-Tasman flights depart Queenstown in the afternoons, this additional flight offers an evening arrival and an early morning departure providing greater flexibility for locals and visitors alike,” he said.
“Preparations at Queenstown Airport have been under way for some months, and we’ve appreciated the collaborative approach from our colleagues at New Zealand Customs and the Ministry of Primary Industries to accommodate this change.
“There has been an increase in trans-Tasman passenger numbers this year, compared to last, so we’re confident this new service will be a welcome addition to the schedule.”
Queenstown Airport, located on New Zealand’s lower South Island, is the fourth busiest airport in the country, serving a catchment of around 70,000 people.
The airport will begin runway works in the spring to install new anti-overshoot technology in the form of engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) beds.
Made of energy-absorbing cellular cement blocks, EMAS beds are designed to slow aircraft that overshoot the end of a runway by crushing under their weight, bringing them to a controlled stop while causing as little damage as possible.
Works will be undertaken at night to avoid disruption. The EMAS beds are tipped to be fully installed by the end of summer.
“There will be no disruption to flight schedules and no change to the types of aircraft that may land at Queenstown Airport,” the airport said in a press release.
