The seasonal services will run twice a week from now until March 27, 2026.
Operated on narrow body Airbus A320 and A321neo aircraft, there will be capacity for about 15,000 passengers to fly between Adelaide and Christchurch over the next five months.
“It is terrific news for tourism in South Australia to be launching the first-ever direct flight from New Zealand’s South Island to Adelaide,” said South Australia’s tourism minister, Zoe Bettison.
“More direct flights into Adelaide from New Zealand – currently our state’s fourth largest tourism market – means more potential visitors coming to experience all our state has to offer.
Recent data shows 43,000 travellers from New Zealand visit South Australia annually and are collectively worth $93 million to the state’s economy.
“The direct Air New Zealand service from Christchurch is the first in a series of exciting arrivals of new routes and new airlines through to the end of the year – strengthening the world’s connection to South Australia and seeing more international airlines servicing Adelaide than ever before,” said Bettison.
The Adelaide-Christchurch service is the first of several seasonal routes activating for South Australia’s capital over the coming summer.
Seasonal services to Auckland with Qantas start this Friday, October 31, running four times a week through until May 2026. Then on November 11, Cathay Pacific will begin thrice weekly services between Adelaide and Hong Kong, operating through to March 27, 2026. Finally on December 11, Adelaide will get a direct service to the USA for the first time, with the commencement of three return services per week to San Francisco with United, running through March 2026.
