Air New Zealand Unites with China Southern, Air China and More to Tackle More Tourists in Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 2027 Travel Peak Season

Air New Zealand is uniting with China Southern, Air China and more airlines as the Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 2027 travel peak season approaches. Together, the carriers are adding flights, seats and capacity across key Asia-Pacific routes. As a result, more tourists can access Auckland, Australia, China, Vietnam and other destinations during the busy holiday period.

Moreover, airlines are responding to stronger demand from leisure travellers, families and visitors returning home. Air New Zealand is adding more than 7,000 seats between Shanghai and Auckland, while other carriers are increasing frequencies or deploying larger aircraft to accommodate the expected travel surge.

Airlines across the Asia-Pacific region are adding flights, increasing frequencies and deploying larger aircraft ahead of the Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 2027 travel peak, as carriers prepare for stronger demand for family visits, tourism, business travel and international holidays.

Air New Zealand has announced more than 7,000 additional seats between Shanghai and Auckland, while Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines Group are also expanding capacity across important regional markets.

The changes demonstrate how airlines are preparing their networks for one of Asia’s most significant annual travel periods, with the peak centred around Lunar New Year on 6 February 2027.

Airlines adding capacity for Chinese New Year 2027

Air New Zealand Adds More Than 7,000 Shanghai–Auckland Seats

Air New Zealand is increasing capacity between Shanghai and Auckland during the Chinese New Year period, responding to stronger anticipated demand between China and New Zealand.

Between 23 January and 20 February 2027, the airline will operate three additional return services each week. The expansion will take the route to 10 weekly services, adding more than 7,000 seats during the peak period.

Air New Zealand is also reporting that total summer capacity on the Shanghai–Auckland route will be more than 11% higher than the previous year.

The additional flights will provide greater choice for Chinese visitors travelling to New Zealand during its summer season. They will also support travellers departing New Zealand for China, including people visiting relatives and friends during Chinese New Year.

The additional aircraft capacity is significant for New Zealand’s wider tourism economy because passengers arriving in Auckland can connect with Air New Zealand’s domestic network and continue to destinations across the country.

The airline has also highlighted the cargo benefits associated with the additional flights. More services create additional belly-hold cargo capacity, supporting exporters moving New Zealand products to China.

Air New Zealand operates the additional Shanghai–Auckland services with Boeing 787 aircraft.

Why Is Air New Zealand Adding More Shanghai–Auckland Flights?

The additional capacity is designed to meet strong demand during the Chinese New Year travel period, traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for travel between China and New Zealand.

From 23 January to 20 February 2027, Air New Zealand will introduce three additional return services each week between Shanghai and Auckland. This will increase the route to 10 weekly services, giving travellers more departure choices during the peak summer period in New Zealand.

The airline said total summer capacity on the Shanghai–Auckland route will be more than 11% higher than last year, highlighting its focus on a market where demand is showing continued strength.

What Will The Additional Services Mean For Travellers?

The expanded schedule provides greater flexibility for Chinese visitors travelling to New Zealand during the holiday period, while also supporting New Zealand residents travelling to China to celebrate Chinese New Year with family and friends.

Scott Wilkinson, Chief Commercial Officer at Air New Zealand, said the airline was deliberately targeting additional capacity towards Shanghai during a period presenting a strong travel opportunity.

The increased services will also improve onward connectivity for passengers travelling beyond Auckland, allowing international visitors to connect with Air New Zealand’s domestic network and reach destinations across New Zealand.

For the tourism industry, the additional seats could provide greater access to New Zealand during its peak summer season, when attractions, accommodation providers and tourism businesses typically benefit from international visitor demand.

How Will The Expansion Support Trade And Cargo?

The capacity increase is not limited to passenger travel. Air New Zealand also highlighted the importance of additional cargo capacity between New Zealand and China.

More flights create additional opportunities for New Zealand exporters to transport products to the Chinese market, particularly during an important period in the annual travel and trade calendar.

This combination of passenger and cargo capacity makes the Shanghai–Auckland expansion relevant beyond tourism, strengthening the wider commercial connection between the two markets.

How Does Air New Zealand Connect New Zealand With China?

Air New Zealand’s partnership with Air China provides additional connectivity between the two countries.

During peak season, the two airlines operate up to 24 services a week across Shanghai and Beijing between New Zealand and China. Through the partnership, travellers can also access more than 30 destinations across China using Air China’s domestic network via Beijing and Shanghai.

This gives passengers additional options for combining international and domestic travel within China.

What Is The Shanghai–Auckland Flight Schedule?

Air New Zealand’s additional services will operate using Boeing 787 aircraft. The scheduled services include Auckland–Shanghai and Shanghai–Auckland flights, alongside the airline’s existing daily operation.

The additional three weekly return services are scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the 23 January–20 February 2027 period.

The expansion means travellers planning Chinese New Year journeys will have more options between the two cities, while New Zealand’s tourism and export sectors gain additional international air capacity during a strategically important period.

Overall, Air New Zealand’s decision to add more than 7,000 seats reflects the continued importance of the China–New Zealand travel market and the role of direct air connectivity in supporting tourism, visiting friends and relatives, business travel and trade.

Air China Expands Beijing–Auckland Connectivity

Air China is also increasing its presence between China and New Zealand ahead of Lunar New Year.

The airline is scheduled to increase its Beijing–Auckland operation from seven to 10 services per week, adding substantial capacity during the peak travel period. Auckland Airport has said available seats on the route will increase by approximately 42% during the relevant seasonal period.

The additional capacity is important because Beijing provides a major gateway into China’s domestic aviation network. Travellers arriving in Beijing can connect onwards to numerous Chinese cities, creating broader connectivity than the direct international route alone.

Air China is simultaneously increasing capacity between China and Australia, giving the carrier a broader role in supporting the expected Asia-Pacific holiday demand.

The airline’s additional services demonstrate how carriers are adjusting international schedules around Lunar New Year rather than relying solely on their standard year-round timetables.

For travellers, additional frequencies can provide more departure options and improve flexibility around the holiday period, when demand traditionally places pressure on available seats.

China Southern Boosts Auckland And Perth Capacity

China Southern is making several significant capacity changes across its international network.

On the Guangzhou–Auckland route, the airline is adding more than 30 return flights during the seasonal period. The carrier is also planning to deploy larger Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, increasing the number of seats available compared with the Boeing 787-9 aircraft used on the route.

The change illustrates another method airlines are using to increase capacity: putting larger aircraft onto existing routes rather than relying entirely on additional frequencies.

China Southern is also expanding its Australian network.

The airline’s Guangzhou–Perth service is scheduled to operate daily from 1 December 2026 to 10 March 2027, creating tens of thousands of additional seats during a period that includes the Lunar New Year travel peak.

Perth’s position on the western side of Australia gives the route importance for both tourism and visiting-friends-and-relatives traffic. Increased services also create additional opportunities for passengers travelling between China and Western Australia without relying on connections through eastern Australian gateways.

The combination of additional Guangzhou–Auckland flights and increased Australia capacity makes China Southern one of the carriers making multiple network adjustments for the 2026–27 summer period.

China Eastern Raises Shanghai–Sydney Frequency

China Eastern is also preparing for increased demand between China and Australia.

The airline is increasing its Shanghai–Sydney operation to as many as three flights a day during the seasonal period.

Shanghai is one of China’s principal international aviation hubs, making additional services particularly relevant for passengers travelling from eastern China and for connecting traffic from other Chinese cities.

The increased frequency gives passengers more options for selecting departure times and planning trips around Lunar New Year celebrations.

Sydney is also a major destination for Chinese tourism, education, business and visiting-friends-and-relatives travel. Additional capacity therefore supports several different travel segments rather than serving only holidaymakers.

The expansion also contributes to the broader increase in China–Australia aviation capacity expected across the 2026–27 summer schedule.

Air China Adds More Australia Services

Air China’s capacity expansion extends beyond Auckland.

The airline is adding services between Beijing and Sydney, with additional flights scheduled to operate during the core Lunar New Year travel period. The additional Beijing–Sydney operation is planned to become daily from 15 January to 21 February 2027.

Air China is also increasing capacity between Beijing and Melbourne, with additional services planned around the broader summer schedule.

Together, these changes provide greater connectivity between Beijing and two of Australia’s largest international gateways.

For Australian tourism businesses, increased direct capacity from China provides an opportunity to accommodate additional international visitors during a high-demand period. For Chinese travellers, meanwhile, additional services can make it easier to schedule journeys around the Lunar New Year holiday.

Vietjet Releases Millions Of Seats For Tet Travel

The Lunar New Year capacity response is not restricted to airlines operating long-haul routes.

Vietnam’s Vietjet is preparing for the country’s Tet holiday, which coincides with the wider Lunar New Year travel period.

The airline has released approximately 3.1 million tickets for the 2027 Tet period, representing a capacity increase of around 6% year on year.

Vietjet is increasing services across its domestic and international network, with additional capacity linked to markets including China, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Vietnam experiences significant domestic travel demand during Tet, as millions of people travel to reunite with family. International routes also experience increased demand as Vietnamese residents living abroad return home and travellers use the holiday period for international trips.

The additional capacity therefore addresses several travel segments simultaneously.

For consumers, more seats can help increase availability during a period when flights traditionally experience strong demand. For the aviation industry, the additional services illustrate the importance of Lunar New Year to network planning across Southeast Asia.

Vietnam Airlines Group Adds Nearly 3.7 Million Seats

Vietnam Airlines Group is taking an even broader approach to the Tet travel peak.

The group, comprising Vietnam Airlines, Pacific Airlines and VASCO, is planning to offer nearly 3.7 million seats between 22 January and 20 February 2027.

That represents an increase of approximately 11% compared with Tet 2026.

International capacity is expected to exceed 1.1 million seats, with the group increasing services to several important markets, including Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

The additional capacity is designed to support the substantial increase in travel associated with Tet, both within Vietnam and internationally.

Vietnam’s position at the centre of Southeast Asia’s travel network means that increased Tet capacity can also benefit regional connectivity. Additional flights can support inbound visitors, outbound Vietnamese travellers and passengers connecting between Asian destinations.

The scale of the programme demonstrates how airlines are preparing for demand across an entire network rather than concentrating solely on individual international routes.

Why Are Airlines Adding Capacity For Chinese New Year?

The Lunar New Year period generates a distinctive combination of travel demand.

Family reunions are a major driver, particularly across China, Vietnam and other Asian markets where the holiday is widely celebrated. At the same time, the holiday period creates opportunities for leisure travel, international tourism and visiting-friends-and-relatives journeys.

Airlines are therefore using several different methods to accommodate passengers.

Some carriers, including Air New Zealand and Air China, are adding additional frequencies. China Southern is combining additional flights with larger aircraft, while China Eastern is increasing the number of daily services on major international routes.

Southeast Asian carriers are also increasing overall network capacity to handle domestic and international Tet traffic.

The strategy allows airlines to respond to demand without necessarily making permanent changes to their year-round schedules.

What Does The Capacity Increase Mean For Travellers?

The additional flights should provide passengers with more options during one of the busiest periods in the regional aviation calendar.

More frequencies can increase flexibility around departure dates and times, while larger aircraft can add seats without requiring an equivalent increase in the number of daily flights.

However, additional capacity does not necessarily mean that fares will automatically fall. Demand remains highly seasonal, and ticket prices can vary according to booking timing, route, aircraft availability, travel dates and remaining inventory.

Travellers planning journeys around Lunar New Year should therefore compare schedules and fares early, particularly on routes where demand is concentrated around a limited number of holiday dates.

“The coordinated capacity expansion by Air New Zealand, China Southern, Air China and other airlines reflects the powerful role of Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year travel in driving international tourism. Additional flights can strengthen connectivity, support visitor flows and create new opportunities for destinations across the Asia-Pacific region. As airlines add seats and frequencies, travellers gain greater choice while tourism businesses can prepare for increased demand. This is also an important development for aviation, hospitality and trade, because stronger connectivity supports much more than leisure travel. The 2027 peak season could therefore become an important period for strengthening tourism links between China, New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia.” says Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, TTW

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What Attractions Are Chinese Tourists Looking For?

The Chinese outbound market is becoming increasingly experience-led.

Recent tourism research points towards continued interest in cultural and architectural attractions, urban experiences and natural landscapes. Travellers are also showing greater interest in local neighbourhoods, food, wildlife, shopping and activities that provide a deeper connection with a destination.

This represents a significant shift in how destinations can market themselves.

A famous landmark remains important, but it does not necessarily need to be the entire travel proposition. A historic city can combine architecture with food tours and local markets, while a nature destination can combine scenery with wildlife encounters, adventure activities and indigenous or local cultural experiences.

For destinations hoping to capture Chinese New Year demand, the strongest proposition may therefore be a combination of attractions rather than a single headline sight.

Australia Offers Nature, Wildlife And City Experiences

Australia has a particularly broad attraction portfolio for Chinese visitors.

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Tourism Australia identifies attractions including the Great Barrier Reef, Blue Mountains, Phillip Island and the Great Ocean Road among experiences relevant to the Chinese market.

The attraction mix covers several different travel motivations.

The Great Barrier Reef offers marine experiences and natural scenery. The Blue Mountains provide dramatic landscapes close to Sydney. Phillip Island combines wildlife with family-friendly experiences, while the Great Ocean Road offers a major coastal road-trip experience.

Sydney and Melbourne add an urban dimension, with food, shopping, culture and entertainment complementing the country’s natural attractions.

This combination allows travellers to build itineraries around different interests rather than relying exclusively on traditional sightseeing.

Why Are Food And Local Experiences Becoming Important?

Food is increasingly becoming part of the attraction itself.

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Chinese travellers exploring Australia can combine sightseeing with seafood, coffee, wine, food tours and local markets. Melbourne’s food and coffee culture and Sydney’s seafood experiences provide examples of how destinations can turn everyday local life into tourism products.

The same principle applies across Europe, New Zealand and Asia.

Local cooking classes, traditional crafts, markets, cultural performances and neighbourhood tours can offer visitors an experience that is difficult to reproduce elsewhere.

For tourism businesses, this creates an opportunity to capture spending beyond major attractions. Restaurants, independent retailers, guides, cultural organisations and small experience providers can all participate in the visitor economy.

New Zealand Can Capitalise On Nature And Adventure

New Zealand is particularly well positioned for Chinese travellers interested in nature-based tourism.

The country’s mountains, lakes, coastlines, national parks and adventure activities provide a strong contrast with densely populated urban destinations.

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The increased Shanghai–Auckland capacity could therefore provide additional access to a destination where the attraction is distributed across multiple regions.

Auckland itself can act as an entry point, while travellers can continue towards other parts of the country for landscapes, outdoor activities, food and cultural experiences.

Tourism New Zealand research also indicates that prospective Chinese visitors pay attention to what they can see and do, alongside practical considerations such as safety, ease of travelling around the country and the availability of food and beverage options.

That makes connectivity particularly important. More flights are useful, but travellers also need convenient ground transport and clear information to move between attractions.

Family Attractions Could Gain From The Lunar New Year Surge

Family travel remains an important component of the Chinese outbound market.

Wildlife parks, aquariums, zoos, science centres and interactive museums can appeal to multigenerational travellers because they combine entertainment with educational experiences.

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Australia’s wildlife attractions are particularly relevant in this context.

For destinations, the family market can also encourage longer itineraries. A family travelling with children may combine a major city with wildlife, nature and educational attractions rather than spending an entire trip in one urban centre.

This creates opportunities for regional tourism operators located outside the primary gateway cities.

Chinese Travellers Are Exploring Beyond The Famous Cities

Another important development is the growing interest in destinations beyond the traditional tourist circuit.

Research from the China Tourism Academy indicates that Chinese outbound travellers are increasingly interested in local neighbourhoods, authentic experiences and less conventional destinations.

In Australia, this can create opportunities for Perth, Adelaide and Tasmania, alongside established gateways such as Sydney and Melbourne.

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The same principle applies to New Zealand, where visitors can move beyond Auckland and explore destinations built around scenery, outdoor activities and local culture.

For airlines, this trend makes network connectivity increasingly valuable because a flight to a gateway city can support tourism demand across a much wider geographical area.

Social Media Is Influencing Attraction Choices

Social media is also changing how travellers discover destinations.

Visually distinctive landscapes, wildlife encounters, food experiences and unusual cultural activities can gain attention through short-form video and travel platforms.

This creates a feedback loop between destination marketing and traveller behaviour. A location that becomes popular online can generate additional interest, while travellers increasingly look for experiences that feel distinctive enough to share.

However, destinations still need to convert online interest into practical travel planning. Reliable transport, accommodation, visitor information and accessible booking systems remain important factors in turning inspiration into an actual trip.

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What Does This Mean For Chinese New Year 2027?

The combination of increased airline capacity and evolving tourist preferences could make the 2027 Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year period particularly important for Asia-Pacific tourism.

Air New Zealand is adding more than 7,000 Shanghai–Auckland seats, while China Southern, Air China and China Eastern are expanding other China–Australia and China–New Zealand connections. Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines Group are also preparing for increased Tet demand.

At the destination level, the opportunity is broader than simply filling hotel rooms.

Chinese travellers are showing interest in nature, wildlife, culture, architecture, food, shopping, family attractions and immersive local experiences. Destinations that can connect these elements into convenient itineraries may be able to distribute visitor spending across a wider tourism ecosystem.

The 2027 Lunar New Year travel peak will therefore be closely linked to both aviation capacity and the attractions waiting at the other end of those flights. For Australia and New Zealand in particular, the combination of direct connectivity, dramatic landscapes, wildlife, food and distinctive local experiences provides a substantial platform for attracting Chinese visitors during the upcoming peak season.

A Wider Asia-Pacific Aviation Capacity Push

The decisions by Air New Zealand, Air China, China Southern, China Eastern, Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines Group point to a wider pattern across Asia-Pacific aviation.

Rather than treating Chinese New Year and Tet as ordinary seasonal periods, airlines are adjusting their networks around the expected concentration of passenger demand.

For international travellers, the result will be more flight choices across major China, Australia and New Zealand corridors, while Southeast Asian travellers can expect expanded domestic and regional options.

The additional capacity also has implications beyond passenger travel. Air New Zealand has specifically highlighted increased cargo opportunities, while stronger international connectivity can support tourism, hospitality, retail, business travel and visiting-friends-and-relatives markets.

With Lunar New Year falling on 6 February 2027, airlines are already positioning their schedules around the holiday’s extended travel window. The scale of the planned additions indicates that carriers across the Asia-Pacific region are preparing for a concentrated period of demand spanning China, New Zealand, Australia, Vietnam and wider Asian markets.

The cause is the powerful travel demand created by Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 2027, when millions of people travel for family reunions, holidays and business. The answer is increased airline capacity.

Air New Zealand, China Southern, Air China and more carriers are adding flights, seats and larger aircraft across important regional routes. The reason is straightforward: airlines want to provide greater connectivity during the peak season while supporting tourism, trade and visiting-friends-and-relatives travel.

Consequently, additional services can give tourists more choices across China, New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia, while helping destinations prepare for heightened visitor activity.

Air New Zealand, China Southern, Air China and more airlines are reshaping their schedules for the Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 2027 travel peak season. Air New Zealand’s additional Shanghai–Auckland services will add more than 7,000 seats, while China Southern and Air China are also expanding important China–Australasia connections.

Meanwhile, China Eastern, Vietjet and Vietnam Airlines Group are increasing capacity across other major markets. Together, these changes show how airlines are preparing for a concentrated period of international and domestic travel.

The strategy also creates wider opportunities for tourism businesses, airports, hotels, retailers and exporters. For tourists, additional capacity means more flight choices and greater scheduling flexibility. However, strong seasonal demand can still place pressure on fares and availability. Therefore, travellers planning Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year journeys should compare schedules and secure suitable flights well ahead of the peak period.

Image: Air NewZealand