Winter is here and Queenstown Airport is busy with travellers, many of whom are flying to or from Australia.
It is 30 years since ZQN became an international airport. The first trans-Tasman flight landed here on 1 July 1995, with an Air New Zealand Boeing 737 bringing about 80 passengers from Sydney to Queenstown. Snow was lying on the ground right to the edge of the runway, ensuring Queenstown matched its reputation as a winter playground.
The following day, a flight arrived from Brisbane with about 70 passengers.
Direct connections between Queenstown and Australia were a game-changer for tourism businesses.
The general manager of the Queenstown Promotion Board, Fraser Skinner, said the scheduled flights were “quite a milestone for Queenstown in terms of placing us at the back doorstep of Australia”.
“It will make them realise we are only three hours away, which is less than various parts of their own country.”
He was right. The flights proved popular with holidaymakers and those wanting to visit friends and family in the lower half of the South Island. Local residents also loved the direct link to Australia.
Since the inaugural flight, capacity and services have steadily increased, and now Air New Zealand, Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia all fly between Queenstown and Australia. They provide daily connections with Sydney, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane.
These flights have brought millions of visitors to Queenstown to enjoy outdoor adventures, world-class hospitality, and spectacular landscapes. They have also enabled locals to travel to Australia with ease, strengthening the cultural and economic bonds between our two countries.
Here's to the next 30 years of trans-Tasman travel!