Air New Zealand will introduce year-round Queenstown-Wellington flights as the airline battle over southern skies heats up.

It was also introducing domestic flights between Invercargill and Wellington in late October, the company said yesterday.

Air New Zealand announced the Wellington to Invercargill flights in December but has now confirmed they will be available from October 29.

They will be the first non-stop flights between Wellington and Invercargill – and additional to the current eight daily flights between Invercargill and Christchurch, which have connections to and from Wellington.

Fledgling aircraft company Kiwijet last week said it wanted to offer domestic services between Invercargill and Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin from the end of this year. Kiwijet spokesman Patrick Weil said yesterday the company was forging ahead regardless of what Air New Zealand was doing.

He was unable to say what the likelihood was his company would get airborne. "There are so many ifs involved. We have to keep it in focus – we are a proposed company with a limited budget."

Air New Zealand will introduce the daily flights between Wellington and Queenstown from January 2008.

That service currently operates only in the July to September ski season.

It will also start non-stop flights between Invercargill and Wellington six times a week.

It denied yesterday's announcement had anything to do with Kiwijet plans.

"Queenstown continues to be a hugely popular destination for tourists and holidaying kiwis alike and we are confident the demand will support a year-round service," Air New Zealand public affairs spokeswoman Tracey Palmer said.