Air New Zealand’s new seasonal Queensland flights are moving to a year-round operation in a boost to business and leisure travel.

Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer, Leanne Geraghty, says the new Auckland-Cairns, Auckland-Sunshine Coast and Christchurch-Gold Coast routes will move to year-round thanks to an agreement with the Queensland Government.

The move will see existing April through October seasonal services change to year-round flights through to May 2022.

Geraghty says the new flights will see an additional 26,000 seats available across the three Queensland destinations and marks the first time Kiwi holidaymakers will be able to travel with the airline to the Sunshine Coast year-round.

“Queensland has long been a popular destination for Kiwis looking for a little winter sunshine, and Air New Zealand flew around half of the 500,000 trips taken from New Zealand to Queensland in 2019,” she says.

“Extending to year-round operations means all the experiences Queensland has to offer, be it theme parks, shopping, white sand beaches or the Great Barrier Reef, are now viable options for New Zealanders no matter the month.

“We know Queenslanders also love to visit New Zealand, with nearly 400,000 crossing the Tasman in 2019 to take advantage of the winter ski season or visit friends and relatives.

“The additional services and good connections onto our domestic network mean Queenslanders will be able to explore more of New Zealand during the shoulder season,” Geraghty says.