$390m loss yet new routes: The logic behind Air NZ’s Christchurch comeback

$390m loss yet new routes: The logic behind Air NZ’s Christchurch comeback

How Air New Zealand can afford to restore three international routes from Christchurch while warning it could lose nearly $400 million this year.

Air New Zealand adds three international routes from Christchurch

Air New Zealand has announced new non-stop international routes from Christchurch Airport (CHC) to Singapore, Tokyo and Perth, marking a significant expansion of the airline’s South Island operations. The three new services, set to launch in late October and November 2026, are part of an agreement between Air New Zealand and Christchurch Airport to grow international connectivity into the region. New routes and launch dates The first Christchurc…