DOHA— Qatar Airways (QR) will introduce a new routing to New Zealand in December, replacing its current Adelaide stop with Melbourne.
The airline will operate Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) to Melbourne Airport (MEL) before continuing to Auckland Airport (AKL) from December 9, 2026.
The daily service will mark Qatar Airways’ first scheduled stop in Melbourne on its Doha-Auckland routing. The return journey from Auckland to Doha will have a block time of around 20 hours, while the Boeing 777-300ER will operate the complete four-sector rotation.
Qatar Airways Melbourne Route Starts This December
Qatar Airways currently operates the Doha-Auckland service through Adelaide, with the intermediate stop scheduled to continue until December 8.
From December 9, the airline will shift the Auckland routing to Melbourne while also increasing its Melbourne operation to twice daily.
The new QR904 service will depart Doha at 1:50 AM and reach Melbourne at 11:20 PM. After a turnaround, the same flight will continue to Auckland at 1:20 AM, arriving at 6:50 AM the following morning.
The return QR905 service will leave Auckland at 1:15 PM and reach Melbourne at 3:10 PM. It will then depart Melbourne at 5:10 PM for Doha, arriving at 11:25 PM, creating a daily connection between the Gulf hub and New Zealand through Australia.
The Melbourne-Auckland sector will also be available to local passengers under fifth-freedom traffic rights. This gives Qatar Airways an additional opportunity to carry travelers between Australia and New Zealand on the relatively short trans-Tasman sector.
Boeing 777-300ER Returns To Melbourne Again
The new Auckland routing will use Qatar Airways’ 354-seat Boeing 777-300ER, replacing the Airbus A350-900 that is scheduled to operate the Doha-Adelaide service during part of the transition period.
Qatar Airways will also resume daily flights to Canberra via Melbourne from December 9.
The airline has confirmed that its Melbourne schedule will rise from seven to 14 weekly flights, strengthening the Australian network while providing additional connections through Doha.
The carrier’s move also changes how it serves Adelaide. The Doha-Adelaide operation will become a standalone service rather than continuing onward to Auckland, allowing the aircraft to focus entirely on Adelaide traffic.
Brisbane Route Planned For 2027
The Melbourne-Auckland arrangement is not expected to remain permanent. Qatar Airways has already scheduled another change for June 2027, when its Auckland service will move from Melbourne to Brisbane, Simple Flying reported.
From June 26, 2027, the airline plans to operate daily Doha-Brisbane-Auckland flights with the Boeing 777-300ER.
The service is scheduled to depart Doha at 1:50 AM, reach Brisbane at 10:55 PM, and continue to Auckland at 12:55 AM.
The Auckland-Brisbane return will depart at 11:20 AM and connect onward to Doha after a short stop.
Qatar Airways will therefore use three different Australian gateways for its Auckland service across the 2026-27 period, reflecting continued changes to its Oceania network.
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