Air New Zealand‘s first non-stop Christchurch to Singapore flight leaves on 28 October, giving Changi a direct line into the South Island on the airline for the first time since 2020.
The route runs three times a week on Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787 through the Northern Winter season, which lasts from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. Flights are on sale now, subject to regulatory approval.
Fifteen non-stops a week in peak season
Singapore Airlines already flies up to 12 weekly services to Christchurch. With the three Air New Zealand flights added, the two partners will run 15 non-stop services a week between Singapore and Christchurch from November 2026 to February 2027, the peak months on the route.
Christchurch is the South Island’s main international airport, and the non-stop removes the domestic connection through Auckland on Air New Zealand bookings.
Auckland gets an A380 and fewer Singapore Airlines flights
Auckland changes too. Air New Zealand is adding four weekly Auckland services, using both its Boeing 777 and 787 aircraft.
Singapore Airlines is going the other way on frequency but up on size. It moves from three daily Auckland flights to two, and puts the Airbus A380 on the daily SQ285 and SQ286 pair in place of the Boeing 777-300ER for the season.
The A380 carries 471 seats in four cabins:
- 6 Suites
- 78 Business Class
- 44 Premium Economy
- 343 Economy
Across the joint network, seat capacity between Singapore and New Zealand rises by 17 per cent from late October. That is 72,000 extra seats, for more than 490,000 over the Northern Winter season.
Christchurch fares
Economy returns from Singapore to Christchurch start from S$1,529 per person.
Entry: an NZeTA, not a visa
Singapore passport holders do not need a visa for a short visit to New Zealand. They need a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority, or NZeTA, from Immigration New Zealand before flying.
The essentials:
- Cost from NZD 17, with the NZeTA app cheaper than the online form
- Allow 72 hours for processing
- Valid for two years and multiple visits
- Each visit can last up to three months
- The app takes requests for up to 10 people at once, while the online form needs a separate request for each person
At check-in, airlines ask for the NZeTA confirmation email and proof of onward travel out of New Zealand. Visitors must also hold at least NZD 1,000 a month for their stay, or NZD 400 a month if accommodation is already paid for.
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration is a separate step. For air travellers it opens 24 hours before the journey begins, and travellers with an NZeTA can mark it as a visa on arrival application there.
Christchurch is one of three new long-haul routes
The Singapore service is part of a wider Christchurch push by Air New Zealand, agreed with Christchurch Airport. Christchurch to Tokyo Narita follows on 28 November, and Christchurch to Perth on 30 November, both on the 787.
Air New Zealand last flew Christchurch to Singapore in 2020, Christchurch to Narita in 2015 and Christchurch to Perth in 2019.
