QANTAS: A220 to debut internationally with Brisbane–Wellington NZ flights

Qantas will debut its newest aircraft, the Airbus A220, on a trans-Tasman Brisbane–Wellington, New Zealand international route. From February 2026, the A220 will replace Embraer E190s and some Boeing 737s on the service. The A220s will fly up to three times per week on the route. The announcement marks the first time the next-generation narrowbody will stretch its wings beyond Australia.

Why the A220 matters

Qantas has been steadily rolling out the A220 on domestic services since 2024. This will be the first chance for international travellers to experience the single-isle aircraft. The A220 is lighter, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than the aircraft it replaces, about 25 per cent better on average.

For passengers, the A220 promises a more enjoyable trip across the Tasman, with a contemporary interior with larger windows and overhead bins. The 2-3 seating layout in economy reduces the number of awful middle seats. The aircraft will eventually be fitted with WiFi, free on equipped Qantas flights.

Cam Wallace, Qantas International CEO, says the move is about both customer experience and efficiency:

“The A220 is our newest aircraft and has some of the highest customer satisfaction scores in the fleet, so we’re particularly excited to be offering the experience to customers travelling internationally from Brisbane–Wellington next year.”

A wider trans-Tasman boost

While Qantas has taken the headline with its A220, the Qantas Group via Jetstar is also boosting trans-Tasman flying. Almost 210,000 extra seats will be added in 2026 across Qantas and Jetstar routes. This includes more Sydney–Christchurch and Sydney–Auckland flights, and a new Jetstar link from Brisbane to Queenstown.

That extra capacity builds on what has already been a record year of Tasman expansion, with the Group expecting to offer nearly 800,000 more seats in FY26 than the previous year.

How the A220 stacks up

Feature	Embraer E190 (retiring)	Boeing 737	Airbus A220
Seats	~97	~174–180	~137–150
Cabin layout	2-2 (all Economy)	3-3	2-3 Economy 2-2 Business Class
Fuel efficiency	Older tech	Baseline narrowbody	~25% more than 737; ~15% more than E190
Noise profile	Noticeable	Standard	Quieter, next-gen engines
Wi-Fi	Not available	Limited rollout on Qantas	Free Wi-Fi across the Tasman
Sustainability	Conventional jet fuel	Conventional jet fuel	Certified for 50% SAF, capable of 100% SAF
Passenger experience	Small bins, older interiors	Adequate but ageing	Light cabin, big windows, modern feel

2PAXfly Takeout

OK, let’s not pretend this is replacing a Boeing 737 with a mega A380. It’s still a small, single-aisle jet. But, as a modern aircraft, it has all the advantages of contemporary technology, which will make for a quieter, more efficient ride. The lack of a middle seat on half the economy cabin will make this a more comfortable ride for some passengers. The addition of a Business cabin will add to the comfort of premium flyers.

Adding all those extra seats across the Tasman should put some downward pressure on prices. But I’m not sure about that. Qantas is hardly going to compete against itself. I would expect prices to remain high, but give passengers additional aircraft options for the trans-Tasman route.