General Information » Getting Around » Air Travel

New Zealand’s geographical isolation means that the majority of visitors arrive by air. Direct flights operate from most international cities, with flights from Europe stopping in the US or Asia to refuel. Auckland is the main port for international flights, although an increasing number of airlines, including British Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Qantas also fly into Christchurch.

The only direct route from North America is from Los Angeles to Auckland. Some carriers, including Emirates and Qantas, have incorporated New Zealand into their Australian routes and will stop in Sydney or Melbourne, both on inbound and outbound journeys.

Air New Zealand is the national carrier and operates daily flights to many international destinations, including London and Los Angeles, but focuses particularly on Australasia and the South Pacific. The airline is a Star Alliance member, and has a points system that allows flyers to collect miles for use with

affiliated airlines, including United and Royal Thai.

Air New Zealand picks up the majority of the business on domestic routes, although low-cost carrier Freedom Air is nipping at its heels. Qantas is the other major domestic rival.