Singapore Airlines is keen on adding capacity to New Zealand routes and has made a few important announcements. The airline will add 40 extra flights to Christchurch later this year on top of providing a daily year-round service. The carrier also has plans to deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft to Auckland in the coming months as demand for more capacity continues to increase.

Additional flights to Christchurch

Singapore Airlines has announced that it will add 40 extra flights to its schedule to Christchurch, New Zealand, in the coming months. From November 19th, the carrier will add a three-times-a-week service every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere.

The arrangement will be a part of a joint venture with Air New Zealand. Christchurch International Airport general manager of Aeronautical Development, Gordon Bevan, commented,

“South Islanders love this service as a direct flight from Christchurch Airport to Singapore’s Changi Airport, then on to dozens of cities in Asia and Europe … The airline has been our valued international partner for 37 years now. In recent years and through difficult times, the airline continued to fly here to support this city and island, so when passengers couldn’t travel, our products still did.”

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The additional flights are in response to skyrocketing demand following the lifting of travel restrictions. Leisure travelers, as well as those visiting family and friends, are likely to make up a significant portion of those taking these flights. These extra flights into Christchurch will add a further 759 weekly seats to the South Island gateway and are expected to boost tourism and business connectivity.

Bringing the A380 to Auckland

Christchurch isn’t the only city in New Zealand that Singapore Airlines is focusing on. From November, the airline will once again deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft to Auckland and continue using it until March 2024. Currently, Emirates is the only carrier operating the superjumbo to Auckland. Singapore Airlines' general manager NZ George Robertson, commented,

“The return of seasonal A380 operations marks a significant milestone in our continued recovery since borders reopened to New Zealand a little over a year ago. When SQ285 touches down in Auckland on November 23, it will be the first time our A380 has operated scheduled services to New Zealand since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020.”

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With New Zealand tucked away in the southern corner of the planet, having convenient connections to destinations in the north, particularly Europe, becomes important. Hopefully, Singapore Airlines’ added capacity later this year will help with just that.

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  Singapore Airlines

  IATA/ICAO Code:

  SQ/SIA

  Airline Type:

  Full Service Carrier

  Hub(s):

  Singapore Changi Airport

  Year Founded:

  1972

  Alliance:

  Star Alliance

  CEO:

  Goh Choon Phong

  Country:

  Singapore