Air New Zealand boosts Adelaide capacity

23 May 2007

Air New Zealand boosts Adelaide capacity; introduces new direct Melbourne-Queenstown flight

Air New Zealand today announced that it will more than double capacity between Auckland and Adelaide in the peak summer months and will also introduce a direct summer flight between Queenstown and Melbourne.

Group General Manager Short Haul Airlines Norm Thompson said today the airline had enjoyed very strong demand for the Adelaide-Auckland service launched in March last year.

"We'd previously announced an increase from three to five flights a week from the beginning of November, but will instead double services to six a week. From February 2008 we'll be offering daily flights," he said.

"In the interim period, from 23 July to end of October, we'll be increasing our seat capacity to Adelaide by 38% through adding a fourth A320 trip per week and upgauging several selected flights to larger, B763 aircraft."

Mr Thompson said the new services over the summer months would more than replace the capacity removed by Qantas pulling off the route from late July.

The move is expected to see Air New Zealand gain a larger share of the long-haul market to/from South Australia, as travellers choose to connect to North American flights through Auckland rather than Sydney or Melbourne.

Mr Thompson also confirmed today that the airline would launch a new summer service between Queenstown and Melbourne.

The service will run each Saturday from 22 December to 29 March, using an Airbus A320 aircraft. Currently customers wanting to travel to Queenstown in the summer months have to fly via either Auckland or Christchurch.

While Air New Zealand has historically operated a Queenstown-Melbourne flight during the July-September ski season, Mr Thompson said it was keen to encourage tourists to spend time in Queenstown in the summer months.

"Queenstown offers an enormous range of outdoor adventure activities that make it a compelling destination throughout the year - there's everything on offer from tramping and trekking to white-water rafting and bungy jumping. There is significant new investment going into quality hotels and golf courses in the Queenstown region, catering for the high end luxury market."

Mr Thompson said the airline had great confidence in the new route given the popularity of direct flights between Queenstown and Sydney twice a week during the summer months.

Fares for the new services are available now. One-way lead-in fares, available online at airnewzealand.co.nz, start from NZD$430 inclusive for Auckland/Wellington/Christchurch-Adelaide and NZD$389 inclusive for Queenstown-Melbourne

Prices ex-Australia are AU$427 one-way Adelaide-Auckland and AU$387 one-way Melbourne-Queenstown inclusive via www.airnewzealand.com.au

ENDS

© Scoop Media