Air New Zealand lends its regional ports a helping hand
- Nine daily flights to Gisborne and up to 18 services a day to Napier
- Operated a special assistance flight to Gisborne
- Added additional fare flexibility for Gisborne and Napier flights
- Activated a special assistance team to provide impacted staff support
It's been an exceptionally busy week for Air New Zealand and the airline continues to do all it can to support its customers, staff and communities affected by the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle.
Air New Zealand's Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says resuming turboprop operations to and from both Napier and Gisborne gave the regions a much-needed lifeline.
"On Wednesday, in coordination with government agencies, we deployed a special assistance flight, carrying communication support, emergency supplies and airport operational staff into Gisborne.
"With the help of support teams on the flight, we worked closely with the relevant authorities and local airport to assess and secure the reopening of Gisborne airport.
"Consequently, we're now operating nine daily flights into and out of Gisborne and although a slightly reduced schedule, we're operating around 18 services per day to Napier except on Saturday's where we have 14 flights."
For customers, Air New Zealand has extended flexibility for those booked to travel to/from Gisborne or Napier between 17 February and 26 February 2023. Customers have until 5 March 2023 to change the date of their flight without a change fee, service fee or fare difference applying.
Customers can also choose to reroute their flight without facing additional charges provided it's to another domestic destination.
Customers who booked through a travel agent or third-party online agent should contact them directly about making changes to their bookings or credit validity.
To further support its regional teams, Air New Zealand has deployed its Emergency Response Special Assistance Team (SAT). These are appointed airline staff from across several of its ports who've trained and volunteered for emergencies like this. The SAT team provides additional care and support to our pilots, cabin crew, airport staff or anyone on the ground in impacted regions who need it.
"We're immensely grateful that all our staff are accounted for however, we know that even though they are safe, some have experienced significant losses.
"To our staff on the SAT team who are providing our impacted colleagues with invaluable support during this difficult time, thank you. This is a huge part of how we demonstrate manaaki for one another."
The airline's Travel Alerts page has the most up to date information on operating flights.
Ends
Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │Phone: +64 21 747 320│Twitter: @AirNZMedia
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.