Air New Zealand will run more flights between Auckland and Taipei, and more daily services to Shanghai, during the middle of next year, the airline announced on Friday 13 November.
On the same day, chief executive Nikhil Ravishankar told a business summit in Auckland that direct flights to India would only come once there was enough demand, and gave no start date.
For families who fly home to Taiwan, mainland China or India to visit relatives, here is what was announced on Friday.
What is changing on Air NZ's Asia routes?
The changes are part of Air New Zealand's Northern Summer 2027 schedule, which runs from 28 March to 23 October 2027. The airline says:
- Auckland–Taipei will go up to five flights a week from late September, with about 25 percent more capacity in October and 5 percent more across the season. The NZ Herald reported the route currently runs three times a week.
- Auckland–Shanghai will run daily in April, July and September/October, giving 9 percent more capacity than last season.
- Christchurch–Singapore, a new route, will continue year-round at three flights a week. Air NZ says these flights are on sale now.
The airline is also adding flights to Vancouver, Houston and Papeete. Overall, Air NZ will have 4 percent more international seats from late March to late October than this year, the NZ Herald reported.
Air NZ's chief commercial officer Scott Wilkinson said the airline was "being deliberate about where we grow, adding flights to destinations our customers want to visit". He mentioned "families reconnecting across the globe" among the reasons for the extra flying.
The extra capacity comes from new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Two arrived last month and two more are due in 2027.
The NZ Herald reported that Stats NZ figures showed 5,500 visitors arrived from Taiwan in September, a record for that month.
Is Starlux coming to Auckland?
Taiwan's Starlux Airlines has filed a schedule to fly Taipei–Sydney–Auckland from 23 March 2027, aviation schedule site AeroRoutes reported on 10 November. The flights would run four times a week to start with, rising to daily from 1 May 2027, using Airbus A330-900 aircraft. The NZ Herald also reported that Starlux would debut in Auckland in March.
The route would stop in Sydney in both directions. Under the filed schedule, the return flight would leave Auckland in the late afternoon and arrive in Taipei early the next morning.
AeroRoutes said reservations would open soon. As of its report, bookings had not opened, so check Starlux's own website before planning a trip around the new flights.
Why no direct flights to India yet?
Air New Zealand and Air India announced a partnership in March 2025 to explore non-stop flights between the two countries by 2028, subject to aircraft availability and regulatory approvals. Auckland–Delhi was identified as the likely first route, Indian community news site Awaaz reported.
Speaking at the NZ–India Business, Innovation and Sport Summit on 13 November, Ravishankar told Awaaz the airline was "still working towards the 2028 target". He said concerns about aircraft availability had largely been dealt with, but "the cost of fuel has to come down, and the passenger traffic between India and New Zealand must go up for the direct flight to happen".
BusinessDesk reported Ravishankar telling the summit there was enough demand from people visiting friends and relatives, but not enough corporate and tourist travel. "I don't have a date to share with you, except to say that it is almost inevitable that we will have direct connections between New Zealand and India," he said.
He also argued that many Indian New Zealanders visit family beyond Delhi and Mumbai, and that connecting through Singapore, which he said gives access to "about 16 cities", could suit them better than a direct flight followed by a domestic connection, BusinessDesk reported.
Asked where the relationship would be in five years, he said he personally believed there would be direct flights by then.
Ravishankar said Air NZ was continuing work on a joint regulatory application with Air India, according to Awaaz. The NZ–India free trade agreement, which has recently come into force, could help build the business travel needed, he told the summit. We looked at what the India FTA does and doesn't change for work visas.
What does this mean if you are booking?
- Mid-2027 trips to Taipei or Shanghai may have more choice of days, especially in April, July, September and October. Check Air NZ's site for when the new dates go on sale.
- Christchurch families flying to Asia can book the year-round Singapore service now.
- Travel to India still means at least one stop. Air NZ's 2028 target remains a target, not a schedule.
- Starlux fares and booking dates have not been published yet.
For this summer, our earlier article on the extra China flights coming to New Zealand looks at what they mean for travellers.
