Our border will open to vaccinated Australian tourists from 2359 April 12, and vaccinated travellers from visa-waiver countries (eg. USA and UK)  from 2359 May 1. 

Following this exciting announcement, airlines will lose no time in scheduling flights. There’s been so much pent-up demand for friends, family and colleagues to reconnect that some of the first inbound Air New Zealand flights we’ve welcomed from Aussie have been fully booked!

Australia is our largest international market, this isn’t just a Tasman story. Anyone looking forward to more options for a tropical island holiday will be pleased to know that nonstop flights to Fiji are scheduled from April. As we head into winter even more destinations will be added, including another option for sun, sea and sand at the ever-popular Gold Coast from early June.

Thanks to Singapore Airlines, Christchurch Airport has remained one of only two airports in the country to provide international passenger and freight connectivity throughout the pandemic. So it’s great to see that later in June they will return to daily operations here. This of course means easier access not just to Singapore itself, but countless other destinations across Asia and Europe as well. Bon voyage!

Indeed, passengers will be truly spoiled for choice by the time winter holidays roll around, as our connections to overseas destinations are restored. Other familiar airlines are taking international bookings now, including Qantas and their low-cost subsidiary Jetstar. Emirates has been busy operating some freight services here at Christchurch Airport and we will be excited to see passenger operations resume on their iconic A380.

Restoring our international capacity provides countless benefits, whether for Kiwis seeking to explore the world again, tourists drawn to the South Island’s captivating beauty, or a way for New Zealand’s world-class exports to reach overseas markets. The speed in which flights are returning over the coming weeks is a huge vote of confidence from our partner airlines and shows that despite a challenging couple of years, Christchurch Airport remains without a doubt the gateway to the South Island.