Air New Zealand offers more flights to New Zealand

New non-stop flight from Singapore to Christchurch and increased capacity of Auckland route.

Air New Zealand, recently crowned Airline of the Year, in conjunction with alliance partner Singapore Airlines will increase flight capacity between Singapore and New Zealand to meet the growing demand for their services and provide more opportunities for non-stop flights in addition to improving connectivity from India and South East Asia markets.

Additional flights between Singapore and Auckland will add 35,000 additional seats and increase frequency from 12 to 14 services per week between the end of March to October 2020, rounding up the overall number of services the partners operate to 21 per week.

Following the renewal of its partnership with Singapore Airlines for a further five years until March 2024, Air New Zealand launched its inaugural seasonal flight between Singapore and Christchurch on December 1, 2019. The seasonal service delivers increased frequency from three to five times a week and greater choice for South and South East Asia travellers.

Jenni Martin, Air New Zealand’s Head of South and South East Asia, shared that Singapore is amongst the top countries for visitor arrivals to New Zealand, with both leisure and corporate
travel demand showing significant increases in recent years. This posits an important growth opportunity for the airline and New Zealand’s economy.

Data from Statistics NZ revealed a 5.7% year-on-year increase in visitor arrivals from Singapore, in September 2019. During the same time period, more than half of Singaporeans who visited New Zealand were travelling on holiday, indicating strong interest in the stunning attractions and hospitality the country has to offer. Besides covering the Singapore-New Zealand route, Air New Zealand has also added a direct service from Auckland to Seoul as of November 23, 2019. The airline is also planning to boost its Bali seasonal service in 2020 by raising the route’s capacity by 30,000 additional seats compared with the 2019 season.

Apart from an increase in flight frequency and capacity, Air New Zealand is introducing world-class products and services to enhance customers’ onboard experience.

Their new and more spacious Economy product, Economy Stretch, is aimed at providing additional comfort for passengers travelling in the economy cabin. The improvement, which will be available on Air New Zealand’s widebody fleet from late 2020, features a roomy 35-inch pitch seat and amenities such as a premium headset and plush pillows.

Customers who choose to purchase an Economy Stretch seat can enjoy the Kiwi hospitality provided by dedicated crew members as well as authentic New Zealand wines and cuisine. They can also relish in gateto-gate entertainment and free inflight WiFi on selected aircrafts.

At present, Air New Zealand is reconfiguring its Boeing 777-200, 777-300 and 787-9 aircraft to accommodate an Economy Stretch zone at the front of the economy cabin. The new product consists of up to 42 spacious seats and is exclusive to long-haul flights.

Families, couples or those just wanting a bit of extra personal space can opt for the revolutionary Economy Skycouch™, which allows passengers to create a flat and flexible space for them to enjoy however they like. They can choose the setup to suit their needs, with all three seats allocated to their booking and reserved just for passengers in the group. In addition, families can also go for the Skycouch Infant Harness, Belt and Pod, which allows infants to remain lying down throughout the cruise phase of the flight.

With these new enhancements and products, it is no surprise that Air New Zealand has been recognised as the Airline of the Year for the sixth time by airline safety and product review website AirlineRatings.com.

The award recognises the company’s initiatives in areas such as environmental leadership, customer experience and social contribution as well as their continued efforts in revolutionising the industry. 

“2020 is a significant milestone for us as it marks Air New Zealand’s 80th year and we will focus our efforts on delivering new initiatives that are set to redefine and transform the travel experience,” Martin said.

“Moving forward, we will continue to assess new growth opportunities, particularly in Asia, as we seek to expand our presence across different markets,” she added.