Cathay Pacific plans to launch a new seasonal route to Christchurch at the end of the year.
The non-stop Christchurch service will initially operate three times a week from December 1, 2017 using Airbus A350 aircraft and run until the end of February 2018.
"Christchurch, and indeed the South Island as a whole, is a magnificent part of the world, so we are really excited to be able to connect this new and breathtaking destination direct with our Hong Kong home," said Paul Loo, Cathay Pacific director of corporate development and IT.
The new service will support Cathay’s proposed extension of a strategic alliance with Air New Zealand on services between Hong Kong and New Zealand for another five years until 2022.
Both the new flight and alliance extension is subject to regulatory approval.
"We are pleased to extend our alliance with Air New Zealand, which has allowed our two airlines to maximise synergies and better meet our customers’ needs," said Loo.
Air New Zealand chief strategy, networks and alliances officer Stephen Jones said: "Through our agreement with Cathay Pacific we have been able to stimulate travel between New Zealand and Hong Kong and importantly grow inbound tourism from this market with visitor numbers up 130% since the alliance was first signed."
