Singapore Airlines has marked 40 years of flying to Christchurch, giving the South Island's international gateway a timely reminder of how much one long-running route can shape travel, tourism and trade.

An Airbus A350 was welcomed with a water arch at Christchurch Airport on Thursday as the airline celebrated four decades of service linking the city with Singapore and onward destinations.

The airline began flying to Christchurch in 1986 and remains one of the airport's longest-serving international partners. The route now operates daily across the year, with extra flights added over the summer peak.

The coming summer schedule runs from 25 October 2026 to 28 March 2027 and is expected to provide 120,900 seats, a 21 percent increase on last summer. Supplementary flights are also set to rise from three to five a week during the busiest period.

For Christchurch, the increase is not just an aviation milestone. More seats mean more options for South Islanders leaving the country without backtracking through Auckland, and more direct capacity for visitors arriving into the region.

The timing matters for hotels, tour operators, hospitality businesses and exporters that rely on reliable international access through the warmer months. A route that has lasted 40 years carries a different kind of confidence from a short-term seasonal experiment.

The challenge now is making sure the added capacity reaches beyond airport statistics. The city and wider South Island will want those seats to translate into longer stays, stronger visitor spend and better links for local firms working across Asia and beyond.