Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International, commented: "The A220 is our newest aircraft and has some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the fleet, so we’re particularly excited to be offering the experience to customers travelling internationally from Brisbane-Wellington next year."

Qantas notes that the A220 is more fuel efficient than older models and offers passengers features such as a bright cabin design, large windows, overhead lockers with extra space, and complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.

Jetstar will also launch a new service from Brisbane to Queenstown in June next year using Airbus A320-200 aircraft. This seasonal route targets ski tourism during Southern Hemisphere winter months with over 17,000 seats available between June and October.

Across all Australia-New Zealand connections within Qantas Group airlines in 2026, seat capacity will rise by nearly 210,000. This includes an additional 5,000 seats for Qantas flights between Sydney and Christchurch as well as significant increases on Jetstar’s routes linking Australian cities with Auckland and Christchurch.

According to ch-aviation data cited in the announcement, Qantas currently operates seven Airbus A220-300s averaging just over one year old; another 22 are on order. The aircraft feature both business (10 seats) and economy (127 seats) cabins. Business class offers a seat width of 20 inches with five inches of recline and wireless charging pads.

Cirium reports that all current Qantas A220-300 flights are domestic services operated under Qantaslink by National Jet Services. The Melbourne-Brisbane sector is currently the most frequently flown route for this type within Australia.