Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International) will no longer operate longhaul flights out of Christchurch following an announcement that its seasonal services to Tokyo Narita have been terminated.

The carrier had offered a summer-only service to the Japanese capital but has discontinued the flight effective immediately. In a statement to Fairfax Media, Air New Zealand said it would compensate for the loss by increasing its Auckland International-Tokyo Narita frequency.

As such, with the national carrier's withdrawal from the intercontinental market, Christchurch's longhaul operators are now limited to China Airlines (CI, Taipei Taoyuan), Emirates (EK, Dubai International) and Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi).