Air New Zealand has begun its first seasonal service between Adelaide and Christchurch.
Flight NZ261 landed in Adelaide at 9.30pm on Tuesday aboard A320neo ZK-NHB and took off again for Christchurch shortly after 7.15am on Wednesday. The flights will operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays until March 27, 2026, adding around 15,000 seats to the route.
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Christchurch and Adelaide have been sister cities for more than 50 years, and Adelaide Airport CEO Brenton Cox said the route is another step towards Adelaide having the largest number of international services until the end of the year.
“We are proud to celebrate the launch of the first direct flight from Adelaide to Christchurch, a milestone that meets the strong demand between our sister cities,” Cox said.
“Almost 50,000 people travel between Adelaide and the South Island each year, mainly for holidays or to visit family.
“This new direct service offers a seamless gateway to world-class destinations on both sides of Tasmania, making travel more convenient and attractive for both South Australians and New Zealanders.”
Travel to New Zealand contributes around $82 million a year to the South Australian economy, and South Australian Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison has welcomed the first non-stop flights between Adelaide and the South Island.
“More direct flights to Adelaide from New Zealand (currently our state’s fourth largest tourism market) means more potential visitors will come to experience all our state has to offer,” he said.
“Air New Zealand’s direct service from Christchurch is the first in a series of exciting new route and new airline arrivals through the end of the year, strengthening the global connection to South Australia and seeing more international airlines serving Adelaide than ever before.”
The only other direct connection from Adelaide to New Zealand is currently an Air New Zealand service to Auckland, which will increase to six flights per week in November.
A seasonal Qantas service to Auckland will be joined later this month, the first time Qantas has run international “red tail” services from Adelaide since 2013. Flying Kangaroo will operate four 737-800 flights per week from October 31, 2025 to May 3, 2026.
