Air New Zealand has announced that it will resume non-stop service between Singapore and Christchurch from late October 2026, after suspending the route in February 2020 at the start of COVID-19.
This gives Singapore-based travellers another direct option to South Island alongside Singapore Airlines, and will add more than 34,000 seats during the peak summer travel season.
Even better, this thrice-weekly service will be operated by a retrofitted Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring Air New Zealand’s latest cabin products. These are a significant upgrade over the ageing (and in Business Class, quite frankly obsolete!) seats on its Auckland-Singapore route, with modern features like 4K screens and USB-C charging.
Air New Zealand restarts non-stop Christchurch flights
Air New Zealand’s 3x weekly service between Singapore and Christchurch will commence from 28 October 2026, with tickets already available for sale on the Air New Zealand website.
| 🗓️ 28 October 2026 to 26 March 2027 |
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| Flight | Depart | Arrive | Days |
| NZ66 | CHC 1720 | SIN 2255 | Wed, Fri, Sun |
| NZ67 | SIN 0040 | CHC 1535 | Mon, Wed, Fri |
| Note: For the month of November, NZ67 will operate on a Sunday instead of Monday |
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Passengers on NZ67 will depart from Singapore slightly after midnight, and arrive in Christchurch in the mid-afternoon. On the return flight NZ66, they will depart from Christchurch in the late afternoon and arrive in Singapore late at night on the same day.
Flight times are blocked at 9 hours 55 minutes to Christchurch, and 10 hours 35 minutes to Singapore.
I’m a little confused by the operating schedule, as it appears to suggest that the aircraft may remain on the ground at Changi for an entire day. However, Air New Zealand does carry out maintenance work here — in fact, its Boeing 787-9 retrofits are done by ST Engineering Aerospace in Singapore.
Air New Zealand previously suspended its 5x weekly Singapore to Christchurch flights in February 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic worsened and countries started closing their borders.
What cabin products can we expect?
Perhaps the most exciting piece of news here is that Air New Zealand will be deploying one of its retrofitted Boeing 787-9 aircraft on this route, which features brand new cabin products from tip to tail.
This aircraft seats a total of 272 passengers across three cabins:
- 26 Business Premier seats
- 33 Premium Economy seats
- 213 Economy seats
This aircraft will not feature Skynest, however, as Air New Zealand has only earmarked the bunk beds for its factory-fitted Boeing 787-9s, the first of which will debut on the Auckland to New York route in November 2026.
 |
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| ✈️ Air New Zealand New B787-9 |
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| Seat | Configuration | Seat Pitch |
| Business Premier Luxe | Row 1 (4 seats) | Full-flat bed |
| Business Premier | Rows 2-7 (22 seats) | Full-flat bed |
| Premium Economy | Rows 22-27 (33 seats) | 41-42″ |
| Economy | Rows 34-60 (213 seats) | 31-33″ |
| Economy Stretch | Rows 34-36 Row 37 seats ABC |
32-33″ |
| Economy Skycouch | Rows 38 to 42 seats ABC Rows 37 to 40 seats HJK Rows 47 to 48 seats ABC and HJK |
32-33″ |
I visited Auckland back in May last year for the media preview of the first retrofitted aircraft, so be sure to check out the article below for all the details.
First look: Air New Zealand’s all-new B787-9 Dreamliner cabins
Business Premier
The 26 Business Premier seats are configured in a 1-2-1 inward facing herringbone layout, with every passenger having direct access to the aisle. These are based on the Safran Visa platform, for which Air New Zealand is the launch customer.
Seats measure 20.5″ wide, and transform into 2-metre long beds, with 24″ 4K inflight entertainment screens, Bluetooth audio connectivity, wireless charging, and 60W USB-C ports.
However, Air New Zealand is bucking the trend in Business Class by choosing not to install doors (except for the Business Premier Luxe; see below), opting for a small retractable privacy divider instead. That’s a bold decision, given where the market is headed.
Several airlines have introduced “Business Plus” products that take advantage of the space at the front row of the cabin, which was historically used for storage. On Air New Zealand, this comes in the form of Business Premier Luxe, four first-row seats featuring sliding privacy doors and an ottoman.
Apart from the seat, cabin service will be identical to regular Business Class. Business Premier Luxe will be presented as a seat selection option for Business Premier customers to reserve for an extra S$680 on the Singapore to Christchurch sector.
For a detailed hands-on with the seat, refer to the post below.
Premium Economy Class
The 33 Premium Economy Class seats are manufactured by ZIM Aircraft Seating and belong to the ZIMprivacy PC-02 range, already flying with Swiss and Lufthansa.
Seats are configured in a 2-3-2 layout, spread across five rows. Each seat has an adjustable headrest, privacy wing and ergonomically-sculpted back, with 19″ of width and 41″ of legroom.
Each seat offers 8″ of recline, and because of the fixed shell design, they slide down and forward to recline, instead of backwards. This protects the personal space (and laptops!) of the passenger behind, and allows seats to be fully reclined even during mealtimes.
Inflight entertainment is provided through 15.6″ HD monitors (no 4K screens here, unlike in Business Class) with Bluetooth audio pairing.
In-seat power options include a personal universal power socket, a USB-A outlet and a USB-C outlet. It’s worth noting that the USB-C charging port here is only rated at 27W, which is sufficient for fast charging a phone, but insufficient for charging a laptop.
Economy
The 213 Economy Class seats are made by HAECO, from the Vector 2 range. Seats are configured in a 3-3-3 layout, with 31″ of pitch.
Inflight entertainment screens measure 13.3″, with Bluetooth audio connectivity. These are among the largest screens in Economy Class, though STARLUX also has 13.3″ screens with 4K resolution.
Two further permutations of Economy Class seating are available.
There is an “Economy Plus” product known as Stretch, offered in the first three rows of Economy. This comes with 35″ of legroom instead of the standard 31″.
There’s also Skycouch, first introduced in 2011, and offered in selected rows of seats. This provides a lie-flat option in Economy Class by flipping up the footrests to create a flat surface. Passengers who book this option are provided with extra pillows and blankets to complete the experience.
It’s a novel idea, albeit more suited for children because any adult of average height would find their legs blocking the aisle if they tried to lie flat. The only way of lying down is to bend your knees into a V-shape, which I personally find to be uncomfortable for sleeping.
What about award space?
Air New Zealand is a Star Alliance member, so KrisFlyer members can, in theory, redeem award seats on the Christchurch (and Auckland) routes.
 Singapore to Christchurch(One-way award costs) |
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| Air New Zealand | Singapore Airlines | |
| Economy | 37,000 | 29,000 60,500 |
| Business | 90,000 | 72,000 103,500 |
| Saver Advantage | ||
In practice, however, Air New Zealand long-haul award space is close to non-existent.
I just ran a quick search on Seats.Aero for the next 365 days, and was not able to find a single Premium Economy or Business Class award seat with Air New Zealand, either to Auckland or Christchurch.
Conclusion
After an absence of more than six years, Air New Zealand will be resuming non-stop flights between Singapore and Christchurch, providing travellers with an alternative direct flight to South Island.
It’s toe-in-the-water stuff for now, with just three flights per week, but will still add more than 34,000 seats during the peak summer travel season.
Passengers can also look forward to a huge upgrade in terms of inflight experience, with the retrofitted Boeing 787-9 offering brand new seats across all three cabins.
