Auckland Airport supports Air New Zealand China market move

Auckland Airport supports Air New Zealand China market move

Auckland Airport today supported the announcement from Air New Zealand that they are going to consolidate their China air-service network and shift their Beijing services onto the Shanghai route.

Auckland Airport general manager aeronautical commercial, Glenn Wedlock, said, “While everyone in the New Zealand tourism industry is aware of the enormous long-term importance of the China market as a whole, it is a very diverse country with many different markets, and it does make strategic sense in the short-term for Air New Zealand to consolidate their resources around Shanghai.

“We see this as a smart business move that will enable them to strengthen their position in the massive Shanghai market, offer better frequencies and connections to New Zealand, and target even higher growth in the longer term.”

Mr Wedlock said that travellers to or from Beijing will still have many available connections. “Although for the moment there will not be any direct flights from Beijing to Auckland, there are a large number of connections to the Chinese capital from Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hong Kong and others, all served by direct flights from here.

“The projected growth out of China is such that each of the main cities offers a significant long-term market opportunity for airlines - there is more than enough market to go around. We are confident that the strong growth in travel and trade we have experienced in recent years between China and New Zealand will continue for many years.”

Ends

© Scoop Media