Due to Australian Government restrictions Air New Zealand has put a further hold on bookings to Australia.

The Australian Government has extended its cap on international arrivals until 24 October. There is currently a cap of 25 passenger arrivals per flight into Brisbane and around 40 passenger arrivals per flight into Sydney. International passenger arrivals into Melbourne are not currently permitted.

Air New Zealand Chief Commercial and Customer Officer Cam Wallace says the airline is placing a hold on future bookings to Melbourne until late October to prevent further disruption to customer journeys.

“We know this is not an ideal situation for people wanting to return home to Australia and our teams are working to minimise disruption to customers as much as possible. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience at this time as we work to comply with these government restrictions.

“When it comes to flights to Sydney, we do have availability from early September for those who wish to book. With Brisbane, while there is currently a hold on new bookings, we expect flights may become available as customers make changes to their bookings or no longer wish to travel, so customers should keep an eye out on our website.”