Intrepid Travel has been quick to welcome the Kiwi trade opportunity following the news overnight that direct flights between Auckland and Argentina will resume from Dec.
China Eastern has announced that its long-discussed link from China to South America, using Auckland Airport as a hub, is planned to start from Dec, subject to regulatory approval. Under the move, Auckland Airport says two additional MU services a week ex Shanghai to AKL will fly on to from Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport.
. . . Demand
South America is in Intrepid’s top three regional destinations from the Australia-New Zealand market. The company reports a 33% year-on-year increase in customers to the region since 2024—and says direct services are expected to grow that market further. ‘[It] is an exciting opportunity for Kiwis considering a trip to South America. Buenos Aires is a vibrant city and a fantastic gateway to the region, opening up many options across Intrepid’s range of over 100 itineraries in South America,” says Gary Cohen, Intrepid’s md Latin America. “We are committed to growing South America. We have long-term established DMCs in Peru and Ecuador and are expanding our DMC network with our people on the ground in Argentina, Chile and Brazil.”
. . . The Route
The new ‘Southern Link’ flight is welcome additional capacity into South America, supported by VFR and corporate travel demand. LATAM is the only carrier offering non-stop services into the continent and direct capacity between New Zealand and South America is down 53% on pre C-19 levels. It is understood MU will use a Boeing 777 on the route. The number of seats for Kiwi outbound travellers will depend on demand for Argentina out of China, but Eagle Aviation’s Simon Russell says Argentina is about fourth on the list for demand from China behind Brazil, Chile and Peru. The flights could open up the possibility of connections out of New Zealand to the bigger Brazil market within the next few years, he adds. MU started flying to AKL in 2014 and the airport’s ceo Carrie Hurihanganui says its been a strong airline partner, including maintaining connectivity during the pandemic and today it offers the greatest number of flights between New Zealand and China.
