According the the Australian Financial Review, Singapore Airlines will next week announce four weekly flights between SIN and CBR using an Airbus A330, with the route also taking in the short hop across the Tasman to link into WLG connecting the neighboring capitals for the first time. This will also be the first scheduled international fights through CBR and a major connection for WLG as it means that Asia bound travellers won’t have to go via CHC or AKL anymore.

However, one limiting factor may be at the NZ end of the 2,300km trans-Tasman sector as WLG airport is currently only 2,081m long. An A330-300 requires 1750m to land but is likely to be ‘payload limited’ on departure as it usually requires between 2,200m & 2,500m for safe takeoff.  All the same its great news for our nations capitals.