Victorians and New Zealanders will soon have another choice for flights across the ditch, from a surprising source.

Taiwan-based China Airlines has announced it will commence flights between Melbourne and Auckland in December utilising its A350 aircraft. 

Featuring lie-flat business class, premium economy and economy, the seasonal flights will run as a tag on China Airlines’ Taipei-Melbourne service and operate five times per week. 

Flight CI057 runs daily except Monday and Saturday, leaving Melbourne at 13:40 and landing in Auckland at 19:05. Flight CI058 departs Auckland at 21:05, touches down in Tullamarine at 22:55, and continues to Taipei at 00:25.

Adding more than 3,000 weekly seats between the ports over the summer, the new service returns the Melbourne-Auckland route to pre-pandemic capacity. 

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said that the new flights would boost Trans-Tasman competition, potentially lowering airfares.

“Having a fourth airline on this important route is fantastic news for travellers because of the extra choice it offers in both product and schedule,” said Parashos, who was in Taipei for the announcement. 

“The launch of this new service will coincide with the start of the December school holidays meaning hundreds more seats are available just when families need them most.

“China Airlines is making the most of what would otherwise be down time for its aircraft in Melbourne to operate this new service, and it’s a great result for consumers.”

As well as boosting Tran-Tasman travel, Parashos said the new service will provide Kiwis with another link to Asia “with passengers from Auckland able to connect through Melbourne on China Airlines to Taipei and beyond”.

China Airlines A350
China Airlines A350

“Additional services and increased competition are critical during a time when we’re seeing softening passenger numbers amid cost-of-living challenges and still-high airfares,” he added.

In May, Melbourne Airport welcomed 824,278 international passengers, up 11 per cent on last year but still down (at 97 per cent) from May 2019 levels.

Auckland Airport Chief Customer Officer Scott Tasker called Melbourne “a favourite short haul destination for Kiwis”.

“Melbourne is our second biggest trans-Tasman market with around 1000 people flying between Auckland and Melbourne every day,” he noted.

“Unfortunately, the flights haven’t been there to meet the demand and that’s been reflected in airfares that are well up on what we were paying pre-pandemic. 

“It’s great to have a full-service airline like China Airlines step up its trans-Tasman services to include the Auckland-Melbourne route.”

More China Airlines

China Airlines A350 in Melbourne 2China Airlines A350 in Melbourne 2
China Airlines’ A350 in Melbourne.

The carrier also operates Auckland-Taipei flights via Brisbane, restarting the five-times-weekly service in October 2022. Read our review of that service. 

According to Auckland Airport, the airline plans to up that service to six flights a week across the summer.

“We’ve had a long history with China Airlines connecting Auckland to Taiwan,” Tasker said.

China Airlines were also one of the carriers that continued flying to New Zealand through the pandemic, including regular freight-only passenger aircraft keeping our trade links up and running.”

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