Air New Zealand to start direct flights between Christchurch and Rarotonga

Allowing South Islanders to escape the cold winters, Air New Zealand has announced new non-stop flights between Christchurch and Rarotonga using their Airbus A320NEO jets.

One of Air NZ’s internationally configured A321NEOs | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

From May through to October 2026, the new seasonal service will operate up to three times a week, with flights departing Christchurch at 3:40pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and departing from Rarotonga at 11:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

The flight to Rarotonga will last around 4 hours and 45 minutes.

Air New Zealand will use it’s fleet of international narrow body Airbus A320NEO jets.

Their fleet of A320NEOs are internationally configured with 165 seats in a 3-3 layout. The seats come with inflight entertainment screens and onboard wifi for all flights.

The flights will introduce 18,000 seats to the route throughout the 2026 season.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Nikhil Ravishankar says the new route strengthens the airline's dedication to growing travel opportunities from the South Island.

"We've seen strong appetite for travel to Rarotonga from our Christchurch customers, so this is fantastic news for the South Island. Launching this direct service ahead of the July school holidays makes it even easier for families to trade frosty mornings for tropical sunshine.”