Air New Zealand and alliance partner Virgin Australia will boost direct flights between Australia and Queenstown by 8% this winter to meet expected high demand from Australian snowsports fans.
Air New Zealand deputy chief executive Norm Thompson told reporters at the travel trade show Trenz yesterday Queenstown would also benefit from 13% more seats on Melbourne-Queenstown services, 10% more seats on Sydney-Queenstown services and 3% more seats on Brisbane-Queenstown services.
"The additional 6314 seats will take the total number of direct flights into and out of Queenstown to 18 return trips per week, or 243 over the season," he said.
"There is a greater spread of days that flights are available; for example Brisbane-Queenstown is now operating daily where there were previously no Tuesday or Saturday services.
"Sydney goes to double-daily Wednesday-Saturday with one service the other three days."
Mr Thompson said Air NZ was working closely with Queenstown Airport to improve airport facilities as a result of growth.
Regional passenger numbers increased by an average 5% annually since 2003, resulting in regional airlines carrying 54% more passengers to 4.3 million for the 12 months ended March 2012, he said.
"We are also increasing its domestic capacity into Queenstown from July to September with a 68% increase on Wellington-Queenstown, or an extra 300 seats per week, and an 18% increase on Auckland-Queenstown, or an extra 650 seats per week each way.
"There are also increases between Rotorua and Queenstown via Christchurch with the up-gauging of six services a week to a Boeing 737 from November to March."
Mr Thompson said the addition of jet services between Rotorua and Queenstown was in response to discussions with New Zealand tour operators who wanted to fly groups out of Rotorua south to Christchurch and Queenstown, without having to backtrack to Auckland.
Groups will be able to fly north to Rotorua and then take a coach to Auckland, avoiding having to drive the same route twice, "which we think provides a much better experience," Mr Thompson said.
Mt Cook will become Air New Zealand's 28th domestic destination with a six-week trial service between Christchurch, Mt Cook and Queenstown in December and January to meet high-season demand from offshore markets, particularly tourists from Japan.
Meanwhile, Tourism New Zealand and Qantas announced a new $4 million marketing partnership over two years at Trenz in Queenstown yesterday.
Tourism NZ chief executive Kevin Bowler and Qantas New Zealand and Pacific Islands regional general manager Rohan Garnett told reporters the initiative aimed to boost visitor arrivals to New Zealand on Qantas flights.
The deal outlined a financial commitment to joint planning and partnership marketing in New Zealand's major tourism markets of Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany.
Each party will invest $1 million each year for two years from July 1.
