Christchurch International Airport
Christchurch, New ZealandCHC / NZCH
Major airport · 21 direct destinations · 3 runways · longest runway 10,787 ft
39 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Christchurch → Nelson
CHC
ChristchurchChristchurch International Airport
ChristchurchChristchurch International AirportNSNNelsonNelson Airport
NelsonNelson Airport- Distance
- 155 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~50m
Same local time in Christchurch and Nelson.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Several times a day
On average around 5 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 5
- flights per day
- 6
- busiest month · Oct
- 4
- quietest month · May
- 40 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 6Jan2026
- 6Feb
- 6Mar
- 5Apr
- 4May
- 5Jun
- 4Jul
- 4Aug
- 5Sep
- 6Oct2025
- 5Nov
- 5Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
Air New Zealandall year
Originairnow and then
Airways Corporation of New Zealandwinter
Aerial Surveys (1980) Limitednow and then
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Christchurch. Most departures between 08:00 and 11:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 5.2Mon
- 4.2Tue
- 4.7Wed
- 5.9Thu
- 5.8Fri
- 4.1Sat
- 5.8Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- ATR 72-600AT7653%
- De Havilland Dash 8-300DH8C35%
- Beechcraft King Air 200BE2010%
- B3501%
- JS320%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 6 | 187 |
|
| February 2026 | 6 | 170 |
|
| March 2026 | 6 | 172 |
|
| April 2026 | 5 | 146 |
|
| May 2026 | 4 | 112 |
|
| June 2026 | 5 | 136 |
|
| July 2026 | 4 | 124 |
|
| August 2026 | 4 | 133 |
|
| September 2026 | 5 | 159 |
|
| October 2025 | 6 | 187 |
|
| November 2025 | 5 | 165 |
|
| December 2025 | 5 | 145 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on CHC-NSN - not a booking guarantee.
About this route
- Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
- The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
- Direct destinations observed from Christchurch: 21.
- Direct destinations observed from Nelson: 8.
The airports on this route
Nelson Airport
Nelson, New ZealandNSN / NZNS
Regional airport · 8 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 4,419 ft
40 °F · ClearSource: forecast by MET Norway (adapted), licensed under CC BY 4.0
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
About the route from Christchurch to Nelson
The observed direct connection between Christchurch International Airport (CHC) and Nelson Airport (NSN) covers approximately 155 mi. The estimated flight time is around 50m. Aerial Surveys (1980) Limited, Air New Zealand, Airways Corporation of New Zealand and Originair have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Christchurch from Nelson by air?
- The great-circle distance between Christchurch International Airport and Nelson Airport is approximately 155 mi.
- How long is the flight from Christchurch to Nelson?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 50m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Christchurch to Nelson?
- Yes, a direct connection between CHC and NSN has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: Aerial Surveys (1980) Limited, Air New Zealand, Airways Corporation of New Zealand and Originair.
- How often is there a flight from Christchurch to Nelson?
- On average around 5 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 1,836 observed flights. Mainly Air New Zealand, Originair, Airways Corporation of New Zealand. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Christchurch and Nelson?
- Same local time in Christchurch and Nelson.
Where this data comes from
The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.
The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.
Route data updated on October 11, 2026.