Air New Zealand Attracts Visitors With More Capacity And Fleet Investment

Air New Zealand is investing significantly in its fleet, capacity, and marketing to improve the flying experience for customers and support New Zealand’s tourism industry.

The airline announced that it would be flying 4.5 million seats on 39 international routes, between March and October this year, alongside significant investments in its international fleet.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says these investments convey that the airline is committed to growing and supporting New Zealand tourism all year round.

“Our fleet investment, capacity update, and marketing spend are significant commitments to New Zealand’s tourism industry. Investing in new and retrofitted aircraft, adding more seats to our international routes, and increasing our marketing presence in key markets makes it even easier for visitors to tick New Zealand off their bucket lists.”

The investment includes $3.5 billion in purchasing eight new 787-9 Dreamliners and five Airbus A320neo aircraft to add more seats on the Tasman and Pacific Island services. This includes interior refurbishing its 14 Boeing 787 aircraft, including the airline’s new Business Premier Luxe and refreshed cabins. Work is expected to start next year.

The airline is also in final negotiations to secure another Boeing 777-300ER, which could add 3,000 more seats per week to the airline’s international network. This would bring the total 777-300 fleet to eight.

“We’re proud to be investing in our fleet and the future of air travel. Investing in new and retrofitted aircraft will help us attract even more premium leisure customers from the Pacific Rim to New Zealand, boosting the growth of our tourism industry.

“It’s a significant investment, reflecting our commitment to delivering the best flying experience for our customers in the short and long term.”

“Across our international network, capacity is back to about 91 per cent of pre-Covid, and bookings are steady.”

Air New Zealand’s North American network is close to pre-Covid levels, with more seats from Houston, San Francisco, and Vancouver.

“Our New York route is special and a valuable and promising market for New Zealand. The route has demonstrated strong demand since its launch in September. It presents an untapped potential for us to attract high-value customers and showcase the best of what our country has to offer.”

Later this year, the airline’s alliance partner, United Airlines, will launch new routes from San Francisco-Christchurch and Los Angeles-Auckland, further growing North America’s capacity.

Air New Zealand’s Asia network capacity is 117 per cent of pre-Covid levels. Singapore remains a crucial hub, particularly for connecting to India and Europe. Demand out of China is slowly rebuilding, and the airline’s alliance partner, Air China, has restarted its Beijing-Auckland route. Capacity on Air New Zealand’s Tasman and Pacific Island network is also nearing pre-Covid levels.

The airline’s domestic network is back to pre-Covid levels. Air New Zealand has added 5,000 seats a week to Christchurch, connecting the Garden City more often to Hamilton, Napier, and Nelson, and added 6,000 seats on regional flights out of Auckland and to main centres.

To support its commitment to New Zealand tourism, Air New Zealand is investing $30 million in marketing campaigns this financial year in key markets to target high-quality visitors. The airline is also continuing to rebuild its offshore Sales and Marketing teams. It has been steadily elevating its brand in key offshore markets.

“We know it’s not just about bringing overseas visitors to New Zealand, but also giving them plenty of options to explore around Aotearoa, New Zealand.

“Our significant capacity increases across our international and domestic network, coupled with our marketing investment, will help to showcase New Zealand to the world and attract more quality visitors to our shores,” says Mr Foran.