Flights from Sunshine Coast to New Zealand have been locked in to run all year

Travellers will be able to fly between the Sunshine Coast and New Zealand year-round after the State Government secured a major deal for the region’s tourism industry.

On Monday the first Air New Zealand flight will arrive at the Sunshine Coast Airport for 2021.

The Sunshine Coast will have year-round flights to New Zealand in what has been described as a major coup for the region’s tourism industry.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said a deal between Air New Zealand and the State Government secured the year-round trans-Tasman flights to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts and Cairns.

Sunshine Coast Airport chief executive Andrew Brodie said an extended New Zealand service had been a top priority for the Marcoola airport.

Flights from Marcoola to Auckland will resume from Monday with more than 120 passengers to arrive on the first flight.

Mr Hinchliffe said it was part of the State Government’s $860m Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan and would help support the tourism industry.

“We’re very pleased we’ve been able to strike this partnership with Air New Zealand which makes sure we get access to the very important New Zealand markets,” he said.

“These aviation connections are vitally important to make (coming to Queensland) as easy as possible for kiwis so they can enjoy a different kind of winter.”

He said extending the flights until May 2022 would support 250 jobs and deliver about $17 million to Queensland’s visitor economy.

Mr Hinchliffe said New Zealanders would have to complete a border travel declaration before they arrived.

Mr Brodie said each aircraft arriving from New Zealand represented about $150,000 in tourism spending.

There will initially be three return services a week.

“It’s phenomenal, 12 months ago we effectively closed the terminal at this airport,” he said.

“Today we’re looking at a different situation.”

Visit Sunshine Coast chief executive Matt Stoeckel said the news was welcomed after a challenging year for the industry.

Mr Stoeckel said prior to Covid-19, New Zealand was the Sunshine Coast’s top international market and worth more than $110 million.

The State Government would not release the value of the deal because they said it was commercial in confidence.

They said negotiations would reopen after May 2022.