Air New Zealand will relaunch nonstop service between Christchurch Airport (CHC) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) on November 28, 2026, operating three times weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. The route restores a direct Christchurch–Tokyo link that had been absent since 2015, according to nomadlawyer.org.
Air New Zealand will be the sole carrier operating nonstop Christchurch–Tokyo Narita service, per Simple Flying. Travelandtourworld.com reports the service has already been extended through May 2027 due to strong early booking demand.
The launch is the second of three new long-haul routes announced simultaneously from Christchurch in May 2026 — alongside Christchurch–Singapore (October 28) and Christchurch–Perth (November 30) — enabled by the return of Air New Zealand's Boeing 787 fleet following Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine repairs and new Dreamliners entering service.
For South Island passengers, the nonstop Tokyo service eliminates the need to route through Auckland, which typically adds three or more hours to the total journey. The route is expected to support inbound Japanese tourism to Christchurch and the broader South Island, including ski tourism, and to serve New Zealanders traveling to Japan.
Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar described the Christchurch expansion as part of a strategy to strengthen links to major global hubs in Asia, per Pacific Destinations New Zealand.
Sources
- Air New Zealand newsroom — Major international expansion
- Simple Flying — Air New Zealand Launches 6 New Major Nonstop Routes
- AeroTime — Air New Zealand three new international routes from Christchurch
Sources & references (3)
Things to do at each end of the route
Top-rated tours & experiences in Christchurch and Tokyo.