Qantas Adds 60,000 Seats on Australia–New Zealand Routes

Qantas is ramping up trans-Tasman operations for the southern summer peak by adding nearly 60,000 extra seats between Australia and New Zealand in December 2025 and January 2026—a capacity boost of up to 20% compared to last year.

Seven key routes will see frequency increases. From Sydney, Qantas will operate up to 35 weekly flights to Auckland (+16%), 14 to Christchurch (+47%), and 14 to Wellington (+31%). Melbourne–Auckland flights will rise to 28 per week (+23%), while Melbourne–Christchurch increases to 11 (+26%). Queenstown gets more access too, with Melbourne adding two more weekly flights (totaling four) and Brisbane adding three (totaling four), marking a 50% and 75% jump respectively.

To support this surge, Qantas will operate more than 3.3 million seats across the Tasman between January 2025 and January 2026. In a major product enhancement, Qantas will introduce the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its Brisbane–Auckland route starting August 2025, initially three times weekly before increasing to daily in October. This marks the route’s first access to premium economy and significantly increases non-economy seating by 80%.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace highlighted the airline’s leadership in Tasman capacity during the peak travel period, noting the expanded connectivity benefits tourism on both sides. Tourism New Zealand welcomed the additional access, citing strong Australian interest in exploring Aotearoa’s scenic coastlines and culinary offerings.

The move further strengthens Qantas Group’s trans-Tasman footprint, complementing recent Jetstar route launches and lounge refurbishments.

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