FTA opens runway for direct India-New Zealand flights

Air New Zealand is positioning itself for direct services to India, seeing growing opportunities in business travel, tourism, education and freight. Tourism operators across New Zealand are equally optimistic, expecting easier air connectivity to translate into more Indian visitors exploring the country’s adventure and cultural attractions.

India is already New Zealand’s fastest-growing major tourism market. Around 81,000 Indian visitors travelled to New Zealand in 2024-25, with holidaymakers accounting for 30% of arrivals. Visitor numbers continue to climb, with about 8,000 Indians arriving in April 2026 alone. Most visitors spend more than a week in the country and travel across multiple regions, making destinations such as Auckland, Rotorua, Queenstown and Christchurch major beneficiaries of the growing market.

“The potential is significant,” Air New Zealand Chief Executive Nikhil Ravishankar told FE. “Over time, I think we’ll see strong growth in direct connectivity, but also in overall air connectivity between New Zealand and India.”

While nonstop flights attract the headlines, Ravishankar said India’s diversity means connectivity across the country is just as important.

Strategic Gateways

“One of the challenges with direct connectivity is you’ve got to pick one place to launch a service,” he said. “Today, through our partnerships with Singapore Airlines, Scoot and Air India, we already connect 15 destinations across India via Singapore. That hub-and-spoke model gives customers access to a much broader network.”

Ravishankar said Air New Zealand is expanding its commercial presence in India while working with Air India on regulatory approvals for a joint venture, a key step towards launching nonstop operations.

“Simply adding an aircraft doesn’t guarantee demand—you need tourism promotion, commercial partnerships and market development. That work is already underway,” he said.

The airline is evaluating New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru as potential gateways. Asked which city is the frontrunner, Ravishankar said, “If I had to make a prediction… it would probably be New Delhi.”

The airline also expects cargo to become an important contributor as trade expands under the FTA. Ravishankar cited New Zealand technology company Rakon, whose components were used in India’s lunar mission, as an example of the type of high-value exports that depend on efficient air freight.

Tourism operators believe direct flights would make New Zealand more attractive to Indian travellers, for whom journey time remains a significant consideration.

Melissa Craig, chief marketing officer at ZORB Rotorua, said Indian visitors are already an important segment for the adventure tourism operator, which welcomes more than 30,000 visitors each year, including over 1,000 from India.

“Our Indian visitors mainly fall into two groups,” she said. “The first is honeymoon couples embarking on their first international trip together. The second is multi-generational families. They’re generally looking for fun, adventure and unique experiences while exploring New Zealand.”

Craig recently travelled to Goa for Tourism New Zealand’s KiwiLink India event and said interest from the Indian travel trade was encouraging.

“What stood out was that most of them were already familiar with ZORB Rotorua,” she said. “They were keen to understand how ZORB could be incorporated into their itineraries.”

Rotorua, one of New Zealand’s best-known tourism destinations, is also home to Whakarewarewa — The Living Māori Village, where visitors experience Māori culture alongside the region’s famous geothermal landscape.

Tour guide Daniel believes stronger air connectivity will encourage more Indian travellers to include Rotorua in their itineraries.

“I’ve found many similarities between Indian and Māori cultures,” he said, adding, “both place great importance on respecting the land and living in harmony with nature.