A quarantine-free bubble with Australia is good news for Southland as Aussies hop across the Ditch to experience all that the region has to offer, Air New Zealand says.

The national airline's chief customer and sales officer, Leanne Geraghty, said the re-opening of a trans-Tasman bubble on 19 April would be a welcome boost for Southland.

According to MBIE, Australian tourists and business travellers spent $63 million in Southland in 2019, providing much-needed jobs and livelihoods. 

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The Southland App reported last week that Invercargill Airport had bounced back from the Covid-19 pandemic and was looking forward to more Auckland jets.

Ms Geraghty said the airline knew the region had "done it tough during COVID-19".

The bubble would connect the region to thousands of potential Australian tourists and business travellers, she said.

"Our regional centres around New Zealand will benefit from a trans-Tasman bubble. In 2019, we flew around 10,000 passengers from Australia to and from Invercargill, underlining the importance of trans-Tasman tourism to places like Southland.

“This was just passengers who booked directly through to Invercargill. There will be many more who flew on to Southland on a separate regional flight after a stopover in the main centres or took other transport. But it demonstrates the potential trans-Tasman tourism offers for regional operators and local businesses looking for a boost after COVID-19.

"In the days following the bubble announcement, we saw tens of thousands of customers book flights to Aotearoa and we expect many of them to visit places like Southland." 

No longer grounded . . . Air New Zealand planes lined up in Auckland during the 2020 Covid-19 travel restrictions. PHOTO: Supplied

Ms Geraghty said New Zealand had one of the best domestic networks in the world, and a key benefit was connecting regions like Southland with trans-Tasman routes.

"Southland communities are vital to Air New Zealand and we recognise we play a critical role in connecting regional New Zealand to loved ones, business opportunities, and to regional growth and employment through tourism.

"We're looking forward to a bumper season and bringing much-needed Aussie visitors to regional New Zealand."