Air New Zealand says it will cement its position as the largest transtasman carrier, by adding 130,000 additional seats in the market between Oct and Mar.
This will bring the total number of NZ seats across the Tasman to 1.7 million over this period. NZ’s chief commercial officer Jeremy O’Brien says the move isn’t just about flying more often but also expanding its premium offering. “With more aircraft back in service and demand heating up, we’re stepping up our services across the Tasman,” he adds. “It’s about giving our customers better options, more comfort, and more reasons to choose NZ.”
. . . The Details
NZ is adding nearly 30,000 more seats between Auckland and Perth, increasing from daily flights to nine services per week. Some 25,000 seats will be added to AKL-Sydney, including 7500 premium seats, with up to 13 widebody services to operate per week. AKL-Melbourne there’s 16,000 more seats with up to 13 widebody services per week. An additional 18,400 seats will be added AKL-Brisbane thanks to daily widebody flights and an increase in services during peak periods; while AKL-Gold Coast capacity will rise by 8500 seats with 11 weekly services over summer. Between Queenstown and SYD there’s an increase of 9600 seats with nine services a week Dec- Feb; while 9500 seats are added to Christchurch-MEL flights.
. . . Islands Too
NZ will also add more than 25,000 extra seats to the Pacific Islands this summer, to support continued growth and connectivity across the region. This includes an additional 8000 seats for AKL-Rarotonga with 11-12 weekly services over the peak summer period, as well as an additional 8600 seats on AKL-Nadi with up to 11 flights per week. There will be an additional 1600 seats on AKL-Papeete, including a 37% increase in premium seating due to strong demand.
