Queenstown Airport's first international after-dark flight last night was another milestone in a year of firsts for the airport.
Jetstar flight JQ219 was a couple of minutes early when it arrived from Melbourne with 163 passengers on board at 7.18pm.
Surprise at the big welcome turned to smiles on passengers' faces as they were greeted with aviation-themed cupcakes, hot chocolate and sweets.
Among those in the welcoming committee were the airport's new chief executive, Colin Keel, and Jetstar's New Zealand head, Grant Kerr.
Mr Kerr said after-dark flights were a win-win for Queenstown and Jetstar, as they provided a boost to the resort's tourism industry while allowing the airline to continue growing its business on both sides of the Tasman.
Mr Keel said the best thing about night flights was the greater flexibility they gave to visitors to the resort.
"They can now ski a full day and leave in the evening.''
The airport completed a $19.6 million runway infrastructure upgrade two months ago to enable after-dark flights.
"Today is the culmination of more than five years of work, from the planning all the way through to implementation.''
He hoped more after-dark routes would be flown to Queenstown in the near future.
Melbourne couple Alex Wilson and Sarah Tripp said they planned to spend a week in the resort skiing, snowboarding, bungy jumping and horse riding.
Ms Tripp said they would have come to Queenstown anyway, but the evening had been an ideal time to travel.
Darren and Ruth Crouch, who are also spending a week in the resort with their three teenaged children, said their evening flights meant they would not have to lose two days of skiing in order to travel.
Jetstar's return flight to Melbourne departed at 8.20pm.
The first domestic after-dark flight, an Air New Zealand service, touched down at the airport on May 23.
