When Air New Zealand originally signed up to operate to and from the new Western Sydney airport, it indicated it would begin flights in mid-2027.
Instead, the first flight between Western Sydney and Auckland will take off on October 26, 2026.
“We’re delighted to have Air New Zealand as a trusted partner, with the airline significantly advancing its flight schedule to take off from WSI in October – operating trans-Tasman services three times a week between WSI and Auckland,” said WSI CEO Simon Hickey.
“This route will give Sydneysiders greater connectivity to New Zealand’s largest city and main holiday destination, so they can enjoy more choice and flexibility, alongside WSI’s innovative and seamless customer experience in our state-of-the-art terminal.”
The flights will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, departing at 6.05am in Auckland and arriving in Western Sydney at 7:50am. The return flight will depart WSI at 9am and arrive in Auckland at 2.15pm.
The services will be operated on A321 aircraft with 214 economy seats and A320 aircraft with 165 economy seats.
“Flying directly into Western Sydney opens up a catchment of more than 2.5 million people, including a significant New Zealand community, and supports stronger business, tourism and visiting friends and family links between our two countries,” said Air New Zealand’s general manager for short haul and domestic services, Lucy Hall.
“Together with our services to Sydney Kingsford Smith, this new route gives customers more choice and flexibility when travelling between New Zealand and Australia.”
Air New Zealand received support from the $16 million aviation incentive fund, the Western Sydney International Take-Off Fund.
Tickets on the Auckland-Western Sydney route went on sale today.
The trans-Tasman connection is the second international service to announce its first flights into Western Sydney, with Singapore Airlines announcing last month that it would start flights between Changi and WSI on November 23.
