Flight Time To New Zealand From Different Parts of The World [2024]

Situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, New Zealand is far away from most countries of the world. To keep it connected, there are several airlines flying to and from New Zealand. If you are traveling to New Zealand for the first time, it definitely would be helpful to know how many hours you will spend in the air.

Flight times to New Zealand can be as little as 3-5 hours from Australia to 10-15 hours from Asia, 12-19 hours from the US, 17-21 hours from the Middle East, and as much as 24 hours when traveling from the UK.

Depending on the country you are traveling from, flight times can vary a lot. To make it easier, here is a guide about the average flight times to New Zealand from different parts of the world and the major airlines offering direct and connecting flights.

Are you looking for a cheap flight to New Zealand? That’s not an easy task! Read this article to find out which dates are the most affordable to fly down under.

Flight time to New Zealand from the UK

The UK is one of the further located destinations to fly to and from New Zealand. The United Kingdom, situated in Europe, is at a distance of 18,390 kilometers from New Zealand, a part of Oceania. With such a great distance, the flight time from the UK to New Zealand is approximately 23 hours and 30 mins.

London is serviced by a number of international airlines, and a direct flight will get you to New Zealand in 23 hours and 40 mins. Glasgow to New Zealand clocks at around 22 hours and 21 mins, and it takes roughly 22.5 hours from Edinburgh. Flight time from Cardiff takes 23 hours, while Birmingham, on average, goes to about 23 hours.

From Liverpool Airport (John Lennon Airport), the flight takes 22 hours and 41 mins, and a flight from Manchester also takes the same time, while Belfast is just shy of 22 and a half hours.

Flights to New Zealand from the UK are generally very long and take about more than 22 hours. This is why there are no direct flights to New Zealand from the UK or any other European countries which mean at least one stopover or changing flight is required.

This is not exactly a bad thing. For one thing, stopover flights are cheaper than direct flights. Another thing is that you can explore a city if you have a longer stop by visiting the popular destination sites.

The top stopover options for traveling to New Zealand include a changing flight from the Middle East, Asia, the USA, or Oceania. The best route when flying from the UK to New Zealand is to fly to Dubai, change the plane and continue straight to the final destination.

The Middle East is located at a distance of just seven hours from London and has multiple flights towards New Zealand. A connecting flight from Dubai to Auckland takes about 16 hours, while one from Abu Dhabi takes 18 hours.

Asia is at a further distance from the Middle East and is at a flight time of 13 hours from London. Flight time from Bangkok or Hong Kong to Auckland takes 11.5 hours, 10.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur, and 9.5 hours from Singapore.

Most of the main US cities are at a distance of 12-13 hours from London. A changing flight from LA to New Zealand is of 13 hours. 

The shortest stopover change is from Oceania. It takes 3 hours from Sydney to Auckland or Christchurch and 3 and a half hours from Melbourne onwards.

Now, the question arises about the main airports where you can fly to New Zealand from the UK. The main airports of New Zealand are Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport, Wellington Airport, Dunedin Airport, and Queenstown Airport.

All of these options receive incoming flights from the UK and from stopover flight changes. Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates are some of the major airlines offering flights to New Zealand from the UK. The best platform to book a flight is Skyscanner, they show the cheapest options.

If you are flying from other parts of Europe than the UK, here are some approximate times to reach Auckland:

• London: 24 hours
• Dublin: 25 hours 30 mins
• Paris: 24 hours
• Frankfurt: 25 hours 40 mins
• Lisbon: 25 hours 30 mins
• Madrid: 27 hours
• Rome: 26 hours
• Zurich: 25 hours
• Stockholm: 27 hours
• Copenhagen: 23 hours 30 mins
• Oslo: 27 hours
• Istanbul: 23 hours 40 mins

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Flight time to New Zealand from Australia

Australia and New Zealand are two such countries whose names are often said together. However, Australia is located at a distance of only 4,155 kilometers from New Zealand, and flight times from Australia to New Zealand can range from 3 hours to 5 hours and more.

Sydney, the largest city in Australia, offers many international flights, and a direct flight to New Zealand will take 3 hours and 6 mins. Melbourne’s flight time to New Zealand is 4 hours for a direct flight, and Adelaide is at a distance of 5 hours.

The approximate flight time from Brisbane to New Zealand is 3 hours, Perth to New Zealand clocks at around 7 hours, and Canberra has a flight time of 5 hours and 10 mins.

Flights to New Zealand from Australia are, on average, not that much time taking, and the best part is that these are direct ones without stopovers. Airlines offering direct flights include:

• Air New Zealand
• Air Asia
• Qantas Airways
• Qatar Airways
• Jetstar Airways
• Fiji Airways

These airlines have direct flight services to the majority of the big airports in New Zealand, such as Auckland Airport, Christchurch Airport, Queenstown Airport, and Wellington Airport.

Flight time to New Zealand from the US

New Zealand and the United States are located on opposite sides of the world! The distance between both countries is approximately 12,549 kilometers. Since the US covers a very big land mass, the flight time from the US to New Zealand varies. But mostly, it’s around 16 hours.

A direct flight from Los Angeles is of 12 hours, one from Las Vegas is 13 hours and 35 mins, while a New York flight time is 16 hours for a direct route. A direct flight from San Francisco will take you around 12 hours and 15 mins, Chicago takes 14 hours and 45 mins, and Houston flights take 13 hours and 30 mins to reach New Zealand.

Among the major cities of the US, Honolulu takes the least amount of time which is just 8 hours and 30 mins, while Boston takes the most with 21 hours to arrive in New Zealand.

From Vancouver, you get a 13 hours flight, and from Toronto, you can reach New Zealand in 20 hours and 40 mins.

International flights incoming from the US often land at the major international airports of New Zealand, which are Auckland Airport, Christchurch Aiport, Dunedin Airport, Queenstown Airport, and Wellington Airport.

Flight time to New Zealand from the Middle East

The Middle East and New Zealand are situated miles apart from one another, but it’s a very common route as many travelers from Europe have a layover in Dubai, Oman, or Bahrain. Flight times from the Middle East to New Zealand range from 16-19 hours and more.

A flight route from Dubai to New Zealand takes 16 hours directly and just 18 hours from Abu Dhabi. Istanbul to New Zealand takes about 20 hours, and from Doha, it is approximately 18 hours.

Incoming flights from Cairo would take 20 hours to reach New Zealand, 20 hours and 42 mins from Damascus, and 19 hours from Baghdad.

Airports in New Zealand

New Zealand has both international airports as well as domestic airports. As you can see on the map above, small airports can be found across New Zealand. Here’s a short and quick guide to our airports.

International Airports of New Zealand include:

• Auckland Airport
• Christchurch Airport
• Wellington Airport
• Queenstown Airport
• Dunedin Airport

These international airports offer services for both international flights and domestic flights.

Auckland Airport is the largest and busiest international airport in New Zealand. As per the size and dimensions of this airport, it has a runway running 11,598 feet and can accommodate 45 flight movements every hour.

It has an elevation of 7.01 meters and offers both domestic and international services, as well as a transit space for changing flights.

Christchurch Airport is New Zealand’s first international and second-largest airport. The airport covers an area of 11.46 km². It has two runways, with the main runway extending to 3,287 m x 845 m. 

Wellington Airport is an international airport that serves as a hub for Air New Zealand and Sounds Air. It has a single runway of 2,081 meters which equals 6,827 feet. Wellington International Airport has terminals that serve both international as well as domestic flights.

Queenstown Airport is an international airport in New Zealand with a record of serving 2.25 million passengers as of 2018. It has an elevation of 357 meters and three runways.

Dunedin International Airport has one terminal building serving international and domestic flights both. Its runway dimensions are 6,234 x 151 feet.

Besides all of these international airports serving as domestic airports as well, there are many other regional airports with domestic flights only. These include Hamilton Airport, Rotorua Airport, Blenheim Airport, Tauranga Airport, Whangarei Airport, and many others. Check out the entire list of domestic airports here.

Common flight routes and stopovers on the way to New Zealand

Common flight routes to New Zealand include flying from Australia, Oceania, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, and the major cities of the UK and the USA. The flight times from these locations and the main airports to land in New Zealand have all been described above.

Besides direct flight routes, there are also changing flights or stopovers on the way to New Zealand in case of long distances or bad weather conditions.

The top stopover options for traveling to New Zealand are from the Middle East, Asia, the USA, or Oceania. The UK is not included in this list as it’s situated very far from away New Zealand and is the flight that requires the above-mentioned stopovers.

The Middle East is one of the most popular stopover options, especially when traveling from the UK. It’s at a distance of seven hours from London and has multiple flights towards New Zealand. A connecting flight from Dubai to Auckland takes about 16 hours, while one from Abu Dhabi takes 18 hours.

The most common airline options for flying onward from the Middle East are Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Another stopover option for changing flights to New Zealand is the US. Most of the main US cities are at a distance of 16 hours from New Zealand. A changing flight from LA to New Zealand takes 13 hours. 

Airlines flying directly from the US to New Zealand are Air New Zealand, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlines.

The shortest stopover change is from Oceania. It takes 3 hours from Sydney to Auckland or Christchurch and 5-6 hours from other major cities of Australia.

Air New Zealand, Air Asia, Jetstar, Qantas Airways, Latam Airlines, and Fiji Airways are some of the main airlines with flights from Oceania or Australia to New Zealand.

For many people, Asian countries are an easy stopover choice. Flight time from Bangkok or Hong Kong to Auckland takes 11.5 hours, 10.5 hours from Kuala Lumpur, and 9.5 hours from Singapore.

Airlines such as Air New Zealand, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, China Eastern, and Cathay Pacific also provide flights from Asia to New Zealand.

To book your flight to New Zealand, visit Skyscanner.

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