Air New Zealand adds four new aircraft to Regional and Short Haul fleet
In response to high demand across the airline's regional network, these two additional 68-seat ATR aircraft will boost capacity by more than 5,700 seats per week and fly customers to regional destinations like Tauranga and Nelson.
The two new 214-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft will be configured for international flying and will serve Tasman and Pacific Island routes. They'll add more than 9,000 seats per week to the network, ensuring the airline has more capacity across the Tasman than any other airline, giving customers great choice at competitive prices.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says the additional aircraft are another step to meet demand for travel, growing the airline's domestic and short haul networks by adding capacity where it's needed most.
"Flying continues to be in high demand, both here and around the world and it means prices have been higher than usual. The most effective thing we can do to help customers is to welcome more aircraft into our fleet and put more seats in the sky.
"While adding more seats is an important part of working to reduce prices, like all New Zealand businesses our costs continue to rise significantly in many areas, and the reality is that airfares are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels.
"Our customers have supported us as we've rebuilt Air New Zealand and we know it's important to offer a range of fares that are accessible to all New Zealanders. Investing in new aircraft means more seats available at more times and at reasonable prices.
"Domestically we're almost back to pre-Covid capacity, flying an average of 425 flights per day to 20 destinations across Aotearoa. These new aircraft mean that our domestic airline will be the larger than it's ever been.
"We also have two previously announced domestic A321neo aircraft due for delivery in the next 12 months. We're pulling every lever we have to get more seats in the sky, as quickly and as safely possible."
The A321neo aircraft are the most fuel efficient narrowbody aircraft available today while the ATR72-600 will be delivered with the most recent variant of the engine which has the potential to provide a 3% fuel burn improvement compared with the previous generation.
Air New Zealand aircraft and crew will be returning to its Auckland-Perth route on 29 October after a period of operation in partnership with Spanish airline, Wamos Air. The airline will continue operating daily services to Perth, with more than 2,000 seats a week available.
These additional four aircraft mean the airline has a total of 16 aircraft joining the fleet including eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus A321 and two ATR72-600, all scheduled for delivery between 2024 - 2028.
The airline will be soon announcing further details on a leased Boeing 777-300ER, which will add 3,000 more seats per week to its international network. This would bring the total 777-300 fleet to eight.
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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
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About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.
** Please note the A321 aircraft are leased from new over a 12-year period in Air New Zealand's configuration.