Background

  • Qantas has this week published a change to its schedule on flights operating between Queenstown and Sydney, with the current late evening service now departing in the early morning.
  • The new schedule provides more convenient connectivity for Queenstown customers forward travelling to other destinations on the Qantas network, with the main benefit enabling same-day transit on a range of international routes via Sydney.
  • The key change will see the current 8.00pm service now depart Queenstown at 7.00am, arriving in Sydney in the early morning ahead of most daily international departures with key destinations, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Haneda and Seoul.
  • Previously, Queenstown customers would need to stay overnight in Sydney or travel via Auckland to transit to other Qantas international routes.
  • With this change, Qantas is now the only airline to fly from Queenstown across the Tasman in the early morning and provide international connectivity.
  • In addition, the schedule change will offer more convenient one-stop connectivity to passengers transiting to more than 25 destinations around Australia.
  • The new schedule is now live on Qantas.com/NZ and will take effect from November 2024. 

Quote attributed to Queenstown Airport Chief Operating Officer Todd Grace:

“We are pleased to support Qantas’ schedule change on its Queenstown to Sydney service. The majority of trans-Tasman flights depart Queenstown in the afternoons, this additional flight offers an evening arrival and an early morning departure providing greater flexibility for locals and visitors alike. Preparations at Queenstown Airport have been under way for some months, and we’ve appreciated the collaborative approach from our colleagues at New Zealand Customs and the Ministry of Primary Industries to accommodate this change.”

“There has been an increase in trans-Tasman passenger numbers this year, compared to last, so we’re confident this new service will be a welcome addition to the schedule.”

Quote attributed to Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace:

“We’ve designed our new trans-Tasman schedule to make it easier for Kiwis to connect to international destinations. This latest change is all about making those connections even smoother.”

“We’re carrying more passengers across the Tasman than ever before and this winter we’re offering even more direct flights to Queenstown than last year.”