After more than a decade, Qantas international flights have returned to South Australia, with the airline launching a new direct service between Auckland and Adelaide.
The inaugural flight marks a milestone for South Australia’s tourism and aviation sectors, strengthening connections to key markets including New Zealand and North America. The route also offers travellers a one-stop connection to New York via Auckland.
Recent figures show that 43,000 visitors from New Zealand and 56,000 from North America travelled to South Australia in the past year, together contributing $211 million to the State’s economy and accounting for over 1.4 million nights of stay. Tourism expenditure from New Zealand alone rose by 42 per cent to $93 million in the year to June 2025.
The new Qantas service will add more than 30,000 seats between Auckland and Adelaide, operating four times a week—Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—until May 2026 on Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Qantas already runs nearly 280 services a week into Adelaide, linking 14 domestic destinations.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the return of Qantas international services was an “important milestone” for the State. “This new service direct to Auckland will further strengthen our State’s access to New Zealand, our fourth largest tourism market which has seen huge growth, up 42 per cent on the last year to contribute $93 million to South Australia’s economy,” she said.
“This service also provides greater access to another key global market in North America—worth $118 million to our State—as it connects through to New York City with a single stop.”
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the move marks “a major milestone for Qantas and South Australians with the return of international flying from Adelaide.”
“South Australians can now reach New York in around 21 hours and with just one stop via Auckland on our QF3 service, while the new route also opens up greater opportunities for inbound connections throughout South Australia and beyond through our domestic network,” Mr Wallace said. “We’ve seen significant growth across our international network over the past 18 months, and we’re pleased to bring more of that choice and connectivity to South Australia.”
Adelaide Airport Managing Director Brenton Cox said the return of Qantas international services was “much-anticipated.” “We’re excited to welcome Qantas’ international return to Adelaide. This helps meet the growing customer demand for travel between Adelaide and New Zealand,” he said. “Along with a direct service to Auckland, the service opens up a one-stop connection with New York.”
The new route is part of a wider international expansion at Adelaide Airport, with more airlines flying into South Australia than ever before. Cathay Pacific will begin services between Hong Kong and Adelaide on 11 November, followed by United Airlines’ launch of direct flights from San Francisco on 11 December.
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