\u201cSeeing them add new destinations, increase frequencies, use bigger aircraft and extend seasons tells us they have real confidence in this market.\u201d<\/p>\n
New routes aim to boost travel, tourism and exports across the South Island.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest changes comes from Air New Zealand, which will launch three new international services from Christchurch after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the airport.<\/p>\n
The MOU sets out an ambition to align on network growth, airport planning, customer experience and the future of aviation.<\/p>\n
Air New Zealand will operate three-weekly services to Singapore from October 28, Tokyo Narita from November 28, and Perth from November 30, using its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.<\/p>\n
Together, these new services alone will add more than 92,000 seats to the airport\u2019s international network.<\/p>\n
Tokyo and Perth services will also stretch beyond the traditional summer season, with Tokyo continuing until May 8 and Perth until May 7.<\/p>\n
Singapore Airlines will continue its daily year-round service and add three extra services a week throughout the summer, increasing those flights to five a week during the peak period.<\/p>\n
Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin Watson said the schedule is building on the strength and opportunities in Christchurch. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Combined with Air New Zealand\u2019s new three-times-weekly Singapore service, South Islanders will have unprecedented choice to reach Singapore and connect onwards to destinations across Asia, Europe and beyond.<\/p>\n
On November 22, that growth will result in three Singapore arrivals and departures at Christchurch Airport. <\/p>\n
A total of 1560 seats will be available to and from Singapore that day.<\/p>\n
Justin Watson said the airline growth is important, but it\u2019s what they deliver for the South Island that matters more.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery new flight brings people, trade and opportunity,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cVisitors arriving here spread out across the South Island, supporting accommodation, hospitality, attractions and regional communities, while the same aircraft provide important connections for our exporters.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bellies of the aircraft also carry thousands of tonnes of fresh, high-value products such as stone fruit, salmon and shellfish to markets around the world.<\/p>\n
New routes will bring more visitors, trade and choice to the South Island. Photo \/ George Heard<\/p>\n
Watson said the scale of the summer schedule also provides South Islanders with something increasingly important \u2013 choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor people who live here, more direct services mean fewer connections, more options and easier access to the world,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor visitors, it means the South Island is increasingly somewhere they can fly directly into rather than somewhere they have to reach via another New Zealand airport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great for Christchurch, great for our regions and great for the South Island economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
ChristchurchNZ chief executive Ali Adams said increased international connectivity strengthened Christchurch\u2019s visitor economy and international standing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing this summer hasn\u2019t happened by accident,\u201d Adams said. <\/p>\n
\u201cChristchurch Airport has worked consistently with airlines and destination partners like us to build confidence in our city and the wider South Island. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis schedule gives us an opportunity to turn that connectivity into lasting value for our visitor economy and our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minister for the South Island James Meager said the extra flights create growth and opportunity across the mainland.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is exactly the sort of connectivity the South Island needs to keep growing,\u201d Meager said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore direct flights into Christchurch will bring more visitors into our towns and regions, open up more opportunities for local businesses and exporters, and make it easier for Kiwis to connect with the world. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a real vote of confidence in the South Island, and all we have to offer.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cSeeing them add new destinations, increase frequencies, use bigger aircraft and extend seasons tells us they have real…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":573045,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[266745,2681,5432,6326,138,4487,2082,1019,282460,1535,1132,111,139,12885,69,34293,6926,56638,1551,14625,102,9184],"class_list":["post-573044","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-266745","tag-airport","tag-between","tag-biggest","tag-business","tag-christchurch","tag-for","tag-international","tag-jetting","tag-march","tag-million","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-november","tag-nz","tag-preparing","tag-season","tag-seats","tag-set","tag-summer","tag-with","tag-yet"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573044","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=573044"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/573044\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/573045"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=573044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=573044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=573044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}