As Lunar New Year travel ramps up, Auckland Airport is working with airline partners to provide additional China-New Zealand capacity.
Air China is adding extra services over the Lunar New Year period, which runs from 17 February to 3 March in 2026, while China Southern Airlines has expanded flights this summer and confirmed further capacity across the winter months, signalling growing confidence in sustained demand.
Auckland Airport Chief Customer Officer, Scott Tasker, said peak travel periods like Lunar New Year provide a useful signal of how travel demand is tracking and how airlines can make decisions about where to deploy capacity.
“We work closely with our airline partners to support their growth plans and make sure AKL is ready for both peak periods and longer-term network development,” Tasker said.
“Seeing airlines add capacity for the Lunar New Year and also commit additional services into future travel seasons reflects strengthening demand and supports the flow of visitors, trade and connections that matter for New Zealand.”
Over the Lunar New Year period, Air China will operate additional services between AKL and Beijing, taking its current seven flights a week up to 10 flights every week between 24 January and 2 March, increasing available seats by 42 percent for travellers across what is the biggest annual travel period globally.
China Southern Airlines has already expanded services this summer, operating up to double-daily services between its Guangzhou Baiyun Airport hub and AKL – adding over 30 return flights to the schedule. It has also upgauged its aircraft from a 296-seat Boeing 787-9 to the larger 360-seat Boeing 777-300ER for the summer months.
The airline has now confirmed increased services across the New Zealand winter, with plans to fly 10 times a week between the end of March and late October, up by a third on winter 2024 and back to pre-pandemic winter flight frequency.
Direct travel demand between China and AKL has already strengthened this summer. Total traveller volumes on China-AKL direct services across November and December were up 10 percent compared to the same months last year, with average aircraft load factors sitting at approximately 91 percent, reflecting improved route performance and more consistent seasonal demand.
Recent changes to visa settings made by the New Zealand Government such as simplified document translation requirements and electronic transit visas for Chinese nationals have also supported travel demand between China and New Zealand. In November, New Zealand also introduced simplified visa requirements for Chinese travellers who already hold an Australian visa, making it easier for them to visit New Zealand as part of trans-Tasman getaways. This has driven a 44 percent year-on-year increase in Chinese travelling between Australia and Auckland for the months of November and December, with nearly 23,000 Chinese travellers using this route.
China introduced visa-free travel for New Zealand passport-holders midway through 2024, reducing barriers for outbound travel. It’s meant more Kiwi travellers on flights to China – up 13 percent for the 12 months ending October 2025 compared to the previous year. China is also the fastest growing holiday destination for Kiwis, up 39 percent year on year.
Auckland Airport has also seen growth in international transit travellers connecting through major Chinese hubs, particularly to and from Southeast Asia where direct services to AKL have yet to be fully restored post-pandemic, as well as to and from parts of Europe.
Tasker said what stands out is the breadth of where the growth is coming from.
“It’s not just direct flights picking up. We’re seeing more Chinese combining New Zealand with an Australian visit and more New Zealanders travelling to China. While we’re still missing direct capacity from Southeast Asia, the Chinese airport mega-hubs and increased flight frequency between China and Auckland are filling the gap. Overall, that mix tells you the demand is becoming more balanced, which helps airlines plan with a bit more confidence.”
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