Air NZ moving to year-round flights to Queensland destinations

Air New Zealand (Air NZ) is moving to year-round direct flights on its Auckland-Cairns, Auckland-Sunshine Coast, and Christchurch-Gold Coast routes under a new agreement with the Queensland Government. The boost in flights will see existing Air NZ 's April through October seasonal services move to year-round flights through to May 2022. Air NZ Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says the new flights will see an additional 26,000 seats available across the three Queensland destinations and marks the first time Kiwi holidaymakers will be able to travel with the airline to the Sunshine Coast year-round. “Queensland has long been a popular destination for Kiwis looking for a little winter sunshine, and Air New Zealand flew around half of the 500,000 trips taken from New Zealand to Queensland in 2019. "Extending to year-round operations means all the experiences Queensland has to offer, be it theme parks, shopping, white sand beaches, or the Great Barrier Reef, are now viable options for New Zealanders no matter the month. “We know Queenslanders also love to visit New Zealand, with nearly 400,000 crossing the Tasman in 2019 to take advantage of the winter ski season or visit friends and relatives. The additional services and good connections onto our domestic network mean Queenslanders will be able to explore more of New Zealand during the shoulder season,” Ms Geraghty said. Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said Queensland was Good to Go for an unforgettable holiday experience. "We’ve been able to move to year-round direct flights across the Tasman because we’ve followed the expert medical advice to make Queensland a safe destination," Mr Hinchliffe said.