Virgin Australia restarts New Zealand flights

Virgin Australia restarts New Zealand flights

Virgin Australia touched down on New Zealand soil for the first time in nearly 1,000 days on Wednesday, with a huge celebration to mark the airline’s resumed Queenstown flights.

The flights from Brisbane and Sydney will arrive at Queenstown International Airport, creating a new gateway of travel between Australia and New Zealand, ready for adventure seekers and returning friends and family, ahead of the summer holiday season.

To mark the occasion, Virgin Australia has launched 15,000 sale fares from $409 Economy return in a mammoth five-day sale, offering great value for Australians and New Zealanders wishing to fly across The Ditch.

Excited guests on the first flight from Brisbane today were surprised with mini ‘Peace Pavlovas’ ahead of departure – a not-so-subtle nod to the ongoing friendly rift between the countries on the dessert’s origin.

Virgin Australia direct Queenstown, New Zealand flight schedule:

  • Sydney: Daily return flights between Sydney and Queenstown from 2 November 2022.
  • Brisbane: Daily return flights between Brisbane and Queenstown from 2 November 2022.
  • Melbourne: Return fights between Melbourne and Queenstown four times weekly from 3 November 2022, increasing to daily during the peak Christmas holiday period (12 December 2022 – 29 January 2023).

Virgin Australia Group CEO Jayne Hrdlicka said it was an exciting day for Virgin Australia and its guests as the airline’s network expansion continues.

“Today is a significant day for Virgin Australia with our first New Zealand flight in over two years,” Hrdlicka said.

“Australians and New Zealanders have a close bond and we are proud to be creating a new gateway between the countries for friends and family to visit each other, businesses to flourish and holiday-makers to seek adventure with more choice and great value airfares.

The resumption of Virgin Australia Queenstown services follows the launch of the airline’s Bring on Wonderful campaign and Middle Seat Lottery for domestic services, which has received global attention since being announced last week.

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