A guide to flights and flight times to New Zealand

Want to know how long it takes to fly to New Zealand? Here’s the quick answer. Depending on your home country and departure airport, flight times to New Zealand can be from as little as 3 hours from the east coast of Australia, to around 12 to 19 hours from America and Canada to as much as 24 hours or more when flying from the UK & Europe.

As you can see, flight times vary considerably and there’s no escaping the fact that for most travellers, New Zealand is a long way away. Unsurprisingly, we think that New Zealand is worth visiting regardless of the time spent in the air, even if it takes an entire day to get here. In this guide we’ll give you tips on the things you need to consider when researching and booking flights and provide average flight times to New Zealand from popular countries and cities.

Last updated: December 2022

New Zealand airports

Located on the North Island, Auckland is our largest city and home to New Zealand’s largest international airport. As you might expect, Auckland provides the most flight options, and is currently the only airport that services direct flights from countries other than Australia and the Oceania region.

Christchurch Airport is a good option for those who want to start their adventures on the South Island but international flights to Christchurch (apart from Fiji) are typically via Australia or require a stopover in Auckland.

Other main airports include Wellington at the bottom of the North Island and Queenstown which, being close to the Southern Alps ski fields, is very popular in winter.

In addition to those listed above, there are also a number of smaller domestic airports around both the North and South Islands which are well serviced by New Zealand’s local carrier, Air New Zealand.

Flying direct to New Zealand

Can you fly nonstop to NZ and how long is a direct flight?

The short answer is yes you might be able to fly nonstop, but it depends on your home country. Our close proximity to Australia and the South Pacific Islands (New Caledonia, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands) makes them just a short direct hop away at around 3 to 4 hours.

We’re also relatively close to Asia with an average flight time of between 11 and 12 hours for nonstop flights from China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Flying out of the United States and Canada, there are a number of major airlines that offer direct flights, with flight times of around 12 to 19 hours depending on whether you’re flying out of the East Coast or the West Coast.

Unfortunately, as at the time of writing (December 2022), there are currently no direct flights to New Zealand from the UK or any European countries which means at least one stopover is required. The fastest single stopover flights typically take around 24 hours.

Direct vs stopover flights

Flying direct to any country has its benefits like:

• Shorter travel times which gives you more time to actually explore New Zealand rather than sit in a plane for 24 hours or more.
• The convenience of not having to switch planes, deal with another check-in or navigate your way though a connecting airport.
• Less stress since you don’t have to worry about your baggage going missing between planes or panic about flight delays, especially with flights operated by different carriers.

But it’s not all bad news if your home country doesn’t have nonstop New Zealand flights. Here are two positives that can make a stopover flight a more attractive option:

• Generally speaking, stopover flights are cheaper than flying direct. In addition, some airlines offer perks like lounge access or discounted access to local attractions.
• If you have the time to allow for it, a longer stopover can be the perfect opportunity to explore a city or get a little taste of another country.

Which airlines fly direct to New Zealand?

From Australia & Oceania

• Air New Zealand
• Air Asia
• Latam Airlines
• Jetstar
• Quantas
• Qatar
• Fiji Airways

From the Americas

• Air New Zealand
• Hawaiian Airlines
• United Airlines
• American Airlines
• Latam Airlines

From Asia

• Air New Zealand
• China Eastern
• China Southern
• Korean Air
• Singapore Airlines
• Cathay Pacific
• Malaysia Airlines

From the Middle East

• Emirates

Finding great deals on flights to New Zealand

As with all things travel related, it pays to do your research, particularly when it comes to flights. There is no shortage of websites that allow you to search and book tickets online, but one site that’s consistently rated as one of the best for finding and comparing prices is Skyscanner. Don’t be afraid to look elsewhere as well, including the airline websites directly, but Skyscanner is always a good place to start.

Flight times from Australia & Oceania to Auckland

• Brisbane: 3 hours 40 min direct
• Gold Coast: 2 hours 30 min direct
• Sydney: 3 hours 30 min direct
• Melbourne: 4 hours direct
• Adelaide: 5 hours direct
• Perth: 7 hours direct
• Cook Islands (Rarotonga): 4 hours direct
• New Caledonia (Noumea): 3 hours direct
• Fiji (Nadi): 3 hours direct
• Tonga (Nuku´alofa): 3 hours direct
• Samoa (Apia): 3 hours 45 mins direct

Flight times from the Americas to Auckland

• New York: 16 hours direct
• Boston: 21 hours
• Chicago: 14 hours 45 mins direct
• Dallas: 13 hours 30 mins direct
• Houston: 13 hours 30 mins direct
• Atlanta: 19 hours 40 mins
• Los Angeles: 12 hours direct
• San Francisco: 12 hours 15 mins direct
• Honolulu: 8 hours 30 mins direct
• Vancouver: 13 hours direct
• Montreal: 19 hours 20 mins
• Toronto: 20 hours 40 mins
• Buenos Aires: 16 hours
• Santiago: 11 hours direct

Flight times from Europe to Auckland

• London: 24 hours
• Dublin: 25 hours 30 mins
• Paris: 24 hours
• Frankfurt: 25 hours 40 mins
• Lisbon: 25 hours 30 mins
• Madrid: 27 hours
• Rome: 26 hours
• Zurich: 25 hours
• Stockholm: 27 hours
• Copenhagen: 23 hours 30 mins
• Oslo: 27 hours
• Istanbul: 23 hours 40 mins

Flight times from Asia to Auckland

• Shanghai: 12 hours 45 mins direct
• Guangzhou: 16 hours direct
• Kuala Lumpur: 11 hours direct
• Singapore: 10 hours 30 mins direct
• Hong Kong: 11 hours direct
• Bangkok: 14 hours
• Tokyo: 11 hours direct
• Seoul: 12 hours direct
• Taipei: 14 hours 30 mins direct
• Mumbai: 16 hours 30 mins

Flight times from Africa to Auckland

• Johannesburg: 17 hours
• Cape Town: 21 hours 30 mins

Flight times from the Middle East to Auckland

• Dubai: 17 hours direct