Singapore Airlines is expanding its Christchurch operations for the upcoming southern hemisphere summer season, adding 46 additional return services between November 2025 and February 2026 – the largest seasonal boost the route has seen in recent years.

The enhanced schedule will see SIA operate 11 weekly return flights during peak season, combining its year-round daily service with four extra weekly seasonal flights.

This represents a notable increase from the 10 weekly flights offered during the 2024/25 and 2023/24 peak seasons, when the airline operated just three additional weekly services, and it also marks the carrier’s biggest ever capacity deployment to and from Christchurch.

Singapore Airlines has served Christchurch for almost 40 years, and the route has come a long way from its October 1986 launch as a single weekly Boeing 747-200 flight that returned to Singapore via Auckland.

The schedule

This expanded schedule translates to over 23,200 extra seats on 46 additional return services across the peak travel period from 24th November 2025 through to 14th February 2026, as outlined in the following table.

Singapore Airlines
Singapore ⇄ Christchurch Schedule
24 Nov 2025 – 14 Feb 2026

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	SQ295 A350 LH
SIN 08:50		CHC 23:40
Duration: 09:50
	SQ297 A350 LH
SIN 19:50		CHC 10:40*
Duration: 09:50
	SQ296 A350 LH
CHC 01:10		SIN 06:50
Duration: 10:40
	SQ298 A350 LH
CHC 12:00		SIN 17:40
Duration: 10:40

* Next day
SQ295 does not operate on Tue 30 Dec, Tue 6 Jan
SQ296 does not operate on Wed 31 Dec, Wed 7 Jan

The additional SQ295 services launch from Changi each morning, touching down in Christchurch just before midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The return SQ296 overnight service departs just after 1am, getting you back to Singapore by 6.50am the same day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

“This service has always punched well above its weight for Christchurch. It’s a lifeline for our exporters, a magnet for high-value visitors, and the go-to launch pad for Kiwis heading off to Asia or Europe.

“Adding more flights just takes it up a gear, more choice, more impact, and even more reasons to love what this route brings to our city and region.”

Gordon Bevan, Christchurch Airport GM Aeronautical Development

At full capacity, the route will offer over 5,500 seats weekly between Christchurch and Singapore, serving growing demand from international visitors and South Island travellers.

Singapore Airlines uses its three-class Airbus A350 Long Haul aircraft on this service, with 42 seats in Business Class, 24 seats in Premium Economy Class and 187 seats in Economy Class.

Beyond passenger capacity, the increased frequency adds 64 tonnes of additional outbound freight space from New Zealand – a welcome boost for the country’s export sector during the crucial summer harvest season.

High-value perishable goods that need to be transported swiftly from the country by air freight to international markets include fresh seafood, cherries, lamb and beef.

The enhanced service operates as part of Singapore Airlines’ joint venture (JV) with Air New Zealand, with both carriers being Star Alliance members.

Pre-pandemic, the JV delivered 12 weekly flights total – Air New Zealand’s five times weekly seasonal 787-9 services plus SIA’s regular daily link. Despite this year’s latest boost, SIA’s 11 weekly flights therefore still leave the route one frequency shy of its former peak.

Redemption rates

Here are the one-way redemption rates you’ll pay by cabin class on the Christchurch route, in either direction, using the KrisFlyer programme for a full flight redemption.

KrisFlyer Redemption Singapore ⇄ Christchurch
	Saver	Advantage
Economy	30,500	55,000
Premium Economy	51,000	n/a
Business	68,500	90,000

Don’t forget New Zealand’s additional arrival charges: the Border Clearance Levy and International Passenger Service Charge, which sit on top of standard airport taxes. They’re reasonable compared to places like the UK, but they still add up.

Budget roughly S$105 in cash alongside your miles outbound from Singapore to Christchurch, thankfully dropping to just S$41 for the return journey.

A good value redemption

As our regular readers will be aware, we run all Singapore Airlines routes through our KrisFlyer miles per minute analysis.

Christchurch delivers solid KrisFlyer redemption value here at 111 miles per minute for Business Saver awards – 20% below the network-wide average of 139 miles per minute.

That efficiency actually makes Advantage Business awards worth considering during peak season, assuming Saver space is unavailable, where 146 miles per minute actually matches what you’d pay for Saver Business to Sydney or Hong Kong, and comes out cheaper by this metric than Saver Business awards to Melbourne or Malé.

Summer season competition

Singapore Airlines isn’t alone in boosting Christchurch capacity this summer.

Cathay Pacific is increasing its seasonal Hong Kong services from three per week in 2024/25 to four per week this coming 2025/26 season, while United Airlines and China Southern are also preparing to return with seasonal services.

In conjunction with year-round daily Emirates Airbus A380 flights, this will create the most competitive international schedule Christchurch has seen in years, hopefully leading to more competitive pricing and better award space on routes to and from Asia, North America, and Europe.

Singapore Airlines’ capacity boost to Christchurch represents the carrier’s biggest ever schedule to New Zealand’s South Island. The jump from 10 to 11 weekly flights might seem modest, but it delivers over 23,000 additional seats precisely when demand peaks.

There are also some useful scheduling options with those late-night arrivals and early morning departures in the mix, in addition to the regular daily SQ297/298 timings.

For KrisFlyer members, the route continues to offer solid redemption value at 20% below network average on a miles per minute basis, making even Advantage Business awards worth considering during peak season when Saver space gets scarce.

While the route still sits one frequency short of its pre-pandemic peak, based on former SQ-NZ joint schedules, this expansion signals confidence in New Zealand’s tourism recovery and will hopefully make pricing and award space more attractive for travellers too.

(Cover Photo: Plane’s Portrait Aviation Media / Malcolm Lu)