Story, images: Andrew Kacimaiwai
Air New Zealand is to resume its seasonal Auckland-Sunshine Coast service from late June with three weekly flights.
The Kiwi carrier will operate flights on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, starting from June 25.
Providing more than 16,000 seats between the two destinations, the service will operate on an A320neo aircraft, according to Sunshine Coast Airport.
Air NZ General Manager (Short Haul Airline) Jeremy O’Brien says the route is always popular with Kiwis.
“We’ve always seen great success on this route, and we expect this season to be no different,” he said.
“Running from June 25 to October 15, the flights will be operated on our A320/A321 aircraft and are on sale now.
“It makes travel for those visiting New Zealand from the Sunshine Coast much easier.
“With more than 360,000 people residing on the Sunshine Coast, a holiday to New Zealand to enjoy our ski season or to visit whanau (family) and friends is much more accessible now we have the direct services back in the skies.”
Air New Zealand flies to nine destinations in Australia: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.
“Australia is an important market for Air New Zealand; we’re thrilled to be able to restart these seasonal services,” Mr O’Brien said.
“The Aussie region makes up more than 20% of our network with over 2.6 million customers flying across the ditch pre-Covid. We look forward to continuing to offer them multiple gateways into and out of the country.”
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie said it’ was wonderful to have direct international services back and is looking forward to the Maori koru plane tails returning to their runway.
“Air New Zealand’s return to the Sunshine Coast is a vote of confidence in our destination as we know the kiwis have a long-standing love affair with all our region has to offer,” he said.
“Just in time for the New Zealand school holidays, this service will bring high-value tourism into our region, and with a variety of natural assets, exceptional produce and calendar of world-class events, we’re ready to welcome our kiwi cousins with open arms.
“For locals too, this is a great opportunity to connect from your home airport directly to New Zealand, or with a short stopover in Auckland before venturing further afield to destinations in North America, the Pacific Islands and Asia.”
Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer, Leanne Geraghty said that the airline was really pleased to have direct flights between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast available again.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Queenslanders to our shores to experience everything New Zealand has to offer – from our wonderful winter playground to the stunning wineries, there’s something for everyone.
“With our direct service launching and good connections onto our domestic network means more opportunity for Queenslanders to discover New Zealand any time of the year.”
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Matt Stoeckel said that New Zealand was the Sunshine Coast’s largest inbound market and the destination was a “natural” for Kiwis over the winter and autumn seasons.
“The timing of the flights is ideal for New Zealanders to experience two of our prime winter events – the Curated Plate food festival and the Horizon arts festival,” he said.
“The diversity of our attractions makes the Sunshine Coast ideal for both first-time and returning visitors.”
“New Zealand had cemented itself in the top two international markets for Noosa, spending around $25m in the region each year …”
Tourism Noosa Acting CEO Susan Ewington
Tourism Noosa Acting CEO Susan Ewington said they were excited to welcome back Air New Zealand flights to Sunshine Coast Airport, which is just 30 minutes from Noosa.
“Our Kiwi friends can start their holidays sooner and be at Noosa’s beautiful beaches, restaurants and spas just a few hours after leaving home,” Ms Ewington said.
“It’s perfect timing for Noosa’s winter and spring events calendar, with some great sporting, food and cultural events coming up including the 10-day Noosa Alive arts and cultural festival; Floating Land, Australia’s premiere arts-in-the-environment event; the Noosa Enduro and Noosa Classic cycling events through the beautiful Noosa hinterland and the Noosa Open Studio arts trail.
Ms Ewington said New Zealand had been an important source market for Noosa, particularly over the winter months, which had grown considerably in the few years before the pandemic.
“New Zealand had cemented itself in the top two international markets for Noosa, spending around $25m in the region each year, so we’re looking forward to welcoming Kiwi visitors back to our beaches and river, to the food and wine scene, and on tours.
“We’ve had some great new breweries, distilleries and restaurants open in the past couple of years, so it’s definitely time to come back and explore Noosa.
“This is another milestone for our Sunshine Coast Airport and we’re excited to work with them to welcome the return of Air New Zealand.”
Seasonal schedule
| FLIGHT | DEPARTURE CITY | DAY | TIME (NZ) |
| NZ 169 | Auckland | Wed, Fri, Sun | 9.10am |
| NZ 168 | Sunshine Coast | Wed, Fri, Sun | 12.40pm |
Tasman Aircraft 