The growing appeal of New Zealand’s alpine ski mecca Queenstown has prompted new flights from Brisbane.
Jetstar’s inaugural flight to Queenstown takes off today as part of a seasonal service during the winter months.
Air New Zealand will also operate a seasonal service to Queenstown from June 22, 2026, flying three times per week.
Brisbane Airport said the upcoming school holidays were set to drive a surge in travel demand, particularly to New Zealand.
New Zealand remains Brisbane’s top two-way international market, with 1.34 million passengers in the 12 months to March 2026.
More than 2.3 million passengers are expected to pass through Brisbane Airport in the upcoming winter school holiday period, between Friday June 19 and Monday July 20, 2026.
The United Kingdom and Europe are key markets for Brisbane, with 1.23 million annual passengers. Almost 1000 Queenslanders travel to the United Kingdom and Europe daily from Brisbane Airport.
Emirates recommenced daily flights in May and Qatar has returned with four flights per week, increased to daily flights from today. China Eastern Airlines has also increased to daily flights from today, offering “seamless” connections to Europe.
Brisbane Airport is connected to 35 international destinations and 63 domestic destinations.
It processed a record 25 million passengers in 2025, and is investing $5 billion to transform its precinct over the next five years.
Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said traffic around the terminals, parking, check-in, bag drop, security lanes and shops would be busier than usual during the school holidays.
He said arriving 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours before an international was important.
