Christchurch Airport will see a significant boost in connectivity after Jetstar announced a major expansion of its services in New Zealand. The changes will add an extra 450,000 seats in and out of the city.
From 1 December 2025, Jetstar will launch a new daily service between Christchurch and Hamilton, marking the first time the airline has flown this route. The flights will provide more than 135,000 seats annually.
Services between Christchurch and Auckland will also increase, with flights rising from eight daily to up to 11 daily, adding over 290,000 seats a year. This represents a capacity lift of more than 30 percent.
Christchurch Airport’s Chief Executive Justin Watson welcomed the announcement. “This is great news for Christchurch and the South Island. More seats mean more choice. It’s about making it easier for people to connect, whether that’s heading north for business, catching up with family, or starting an overseas adventure. We’re stoked to see Jetstar building on our strong partnership with this growth.”
Christchurch Airport’s Chief Executive Justin Watson
Jetstar will also expand its trans-Tasman network, with two extra flights each week between Christchurch and Melbourne, creating a daily year-round service. The airline said this would give travellers more options to connect with its wider international network, including Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Bali and Ho Chi Minh City.
From 16 November 2025, Jetstar will also retime its Cairns to Christchurch service, with flights departing Cairns at 7.15am to align with connection times for Osaka and Tokyo. The new schedule will provide year-round daytime flights in both directions, including Christchurch departures at 8.20am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Jetstar CEO Stephanie Tully said Christchurch remained central to the airline’s New Zealand operations. “Christchurch is our biggest gateway to the South Island and with this announcement, we are providing even more choice and low fares for holidaymakers and business travellers. With our new flights to Hamilton and additional capacity to Auckland and Melbourne, we will offer a total of more than 1.9 million seats a year across six routes in and out of Christchurch.”
