Today Christchurch Airport will welcome the arrival of Jetstar's inaugural direct flight from Perth, opening a new connection between the South Island and Western Australia and creating fresh opportunities for tourism in both directions.

The new seasonal service will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, adding more than 37,000 seats between the two cities over summer.

For South Islanders, the route provides a convenient new way to reach Western Australia, with its sunshine, spectacular coastline, world-class food and wine and attractions including Fremantle, Margaret River and Rottnest Island.

But the opportunity is just as exciting in the other direction.

For Western Australians more accustomed to vast, sunburnt landscapes and long distances between destinations, the South Island offers something remarkably different. Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, turquoise lakes, vineyards and dramatic coastlines are all within easy reach of Christchurch.

Visitors can experience an entirely different landscape without the need to connect through another Australian or New Zealand airport. And with the new flights arriving in the evening, they can wake up ready to explore the South Island the following morning.

Christchurch Airport Chief Executive Justin Watson says the new service is an important addition to the airport's growing international network.

“Perth is an important market for us, and having Jetstar offering direct flights gives travellers more choice and makes the South Island even more accessible.

“More than 37,000 additional seats over summer is great news for our tourism industry, particularly for the regional communities and businesses that benefit when visitors chose Christchurch and explore further afield.

“We've worked closely with Jetstar to grow its network from Christchurch, and it's fantastic to see that partnership delivering another international connection.”

The Perth connection comes hot on the heels of Jetstar resuming its Christchurch to Sydney service yesterday.

Jetstar Head of New Zealand Commercial Cath O’Brien said the new services marked an exciting expansion of the airline's Christchurch network, connecting more travellers across the Tasman.

"It’s exciting to be able to bring more low fares to the South Island through the launch of Christchurch-Perth and return of Christchurch-Sydney.

“Together, these services will give Cantabrians more choice and more ways to get away, whether that’s catching up with friends and family in Perth, a long weekend in Sydney, or connecting onwards to destinations across Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

“We’re also expecting more Aussies to make the trip across the ditch, whether it’s for a summer hike, a road trip through the Southern Alps or a few days exploring Christchurch, bringing more visitors to the region.”

The service also creates opportunities for people visiting friends and family, business travellers and those looking to explore beyond the major Australian east coast cities.

The new route is another boost to Christchurch Airport's Australian network, which will be further strengthened when Air New Zealand introduces its own direct Perth service at the end of November.

The service also connects to a number of Qantas group services including Bali, London, Paris, Johannesburg, Delhi and Rome making a convenient one stop option to some of the world’s great destinations.

With two airlines connecting Christchurch and Perth this summer, travellers will have more choice than ever before on the route.

The Jetstar service will operate using a Perth-based Airbus A321LR aircraft.