Qantas adds 45,000 seats to Tokyo and New Zealand routes for summer peak season
Qantas will add more than 45,000 seats on flights to Tokyo and Queenstown, responding to continued demand for travel to Japan and New Zealand from Australian passengers.
The Australian flag carrier announced on June 29, 2026, that it will increase Melbourne to Tokyo services from daily to 11 flights per week between December 2026 and March 2027.
The additional flights to Narita International Airport (NRT) will add 30,000 seats to the route.
Japan demand keeps growing
According to Qantas, Japan remains one of the most popular destinations on its international network. Passenger numbers on Japan routes increased 8% between October 2025 and March 2026, totaling 350,000 passengers over the period.
More than 500,000 Australians visited Japan between January and May 2026 alone.
Cam Wallace, Qantas CEO International, said the added capacity reflects ongoing interest in the destination.
“Japan remains one of the most popular destinations on our international network and is showing no signs of slowing down,” Wallace said. “Adding more capacity out of Melbourne means more Aussies can experience one of the world’s great travel destinations, whether they’re heading there for the first time or going back for more.”
Naoki Kitazawa, Executive Director of Japan National Tourism Organization’s Sydney office, welcomed the increased flights.
“Last year we marked an exciting milestone, with over one million Australians visiting Japan,” Kitazawa said. “We hope that even more people will be inspired to come and experience Japan.”
More options across the Tasman
Qantas is also boosting capacity on trans-Tasman routes over the summer peak.
The airline said it will add more than 15,000 seats on flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to Queenstown Airport (ZQN).
Services between Sydney Airport (SYD) and Auckland Airport (AKL) will increase by up to 10% over the same period through a combination of larger aircraft and additional flights.
“We’re also boosting flights to Queenstown and adding another Auckland to Sydney service, giving travellers more options across our trans-Tasman network over the warmer months,” Wallace said.
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Qantas will add more than 45,000 seats on flights to Tokyo and Queenstown, responding to continued demand for…
The post Qantas adds 45,000 seats to Tokyo and New Zealand routes for summer peak season appeared first on AeroTime.
