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Air New Zealand is set to expand its Australia and Pacific services over the summer peak.
The Kiwi flag carrier will add 130,000 trans-Tasman and 25,000 Pacific seats between October 2025 and March 2026, representing additional flights as well as an increase in the use of wide-body jets. The airline will offer a total of 1.7 million seats between Australia and New Zealand this summer.
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According to Jeremy O’Brien, chief commercial officer for the airline, the increase is in response to high demand for both business and leisure travel, and will see 8 per cent more premium seats on its short-haul network as well as up to 42 wide-body flights per week to Australia.
“This isn’t just about flying more often. It’s about giving our customers better options, more comfort, and more reasons to choose Air New Zealand. We’re expanding our premium offering and strengthening our network across both Australia and the Pacific,” he said.
“Air New Zealand has a proud 85-year history of flying across the Tasman – our first flight to Sydney took off in 1940 and we’re incredibly proud of that longevity. Our commitment to keeping New Zealand and Australia connected is as strong as ever.
“We’re excited to see our new Christchurch–Adelaide route take off later this year, add 30,000 seats on our Auckland–Perth route, celebrate 30 years of flying directly between Queenstown and Sydney in July, and to keep delivering the uniquely Kiwi experience our customers love – on both sides of the ditch.”
Trans-Tasman changes will be as follows:
- Auckland–Perth: Nearly 30,000 additional seats, adding 29 per cent capacity and increasing from daily flights to nine services per week.
- Auckland–Sydney: An additional 25,000 seats including 7,500 premium seats, up 20 per cent with up to 13 wide-body services per week.
- Auckland–Melbourne: 16,000 seats to be added, including up to 13 wide-body services per week.
- Auckland–Brisbane: An additional 18,400 seats added with daily wide-body flights and an increase in services during peak periods.
- Auckland–Gold Coast: A 12 per cent increase in seats, adding 8,500 seats across the season with 11 weekly services over summer.
- Queenstown–Sydney: A 26 per cent increase of 9,600 seats, going from daily to nine flights a week over the December-February period.
- Christchurch–Melbourne: A 14 per cent increase, adding 9,500 seats with more than 400 flights between the cities across the season.
Additionally, the airline will boost seats from Auckland to Rarotonga by 8,000, to Nadi by 8,600, and to Papeete by 1,600.
