Air New Zealand has announced that it is ramping up its services between the two countries as the bubble is opening.
Starting 19th April, Air New Zealand will be ramping up flights between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown and eight of its Australian ports.
The announcement comes just hours after the two countries announced a travel bubble.
Air New Zealand trans-Tasman flights are on sale now. The schedule is as follows:
From Auckland:
- Brisbane – from 19th April – 1-2 flights a day
- Melbourne – from 19th April – 1-3 flights a day
- Sydney- from 19th April – 3-5 flights a day
- Perth – from 19th April (subject to approval) – 6-7 flights a week
- Gold Coast – from 19th April – 6-7 flights a week
- Adelaide – from 5th May – 3-4 flights a week
- Sunshine Coast – from 28th June – 3 flights a week
- Cairns – from 29th June – 3 flights a week
- Hobart – start date not decided – 2 flights a week
From Wellington:
- Brisbane – from 19th April – 3-5 flights a week
- Melbourne – from 19th April – 4-6 flights a week
- Sydney – from 19th April – 6-10 flights a week
From Christchurch:
- Brisbane – from 19th April – 5-7 flights a week
- Melbourne – from 19th April – 6-7 flights a week
- Sydney – from 19th April – 7-11 flights a week
- Gold Coast – from 24th April – 1-3 flights a week
From Queenstown:
- Melbourne – from 19th April – 3-5 flights a week
- Sydney – from 19th April – 4-7 flights a week
- Brisbane – from 5th May – 3 flights a week
Greg Foran, Chief Executive Officer, Air NewZealand, says the airline is incredibly excited to have the border reopen to our Aussie neighbours.
This is terrific news. I know Kiwis and Australians have been wanting to reconnect with whānau and friends for a year now and we’re incredibly excited to be playing a part in those reunions. I’ll certainly be digging out my passport for the first time since I joined the airline to head across the ditch to see my family and I’m especially looking forward to meeting some of my grandchildren for the first time.
The flag carrier of NewZealand has been preparing for a trans-Tasman bubble for a few months now, bringing furloughed crew back onboard and ensuring they are up to speed with training, along with making sure its international airports and lounges are ready for the influx of customers.
Mr. Foran added:
Our people have shown incredible agility of the past 12 months as things have changed at an unbelievable pace. I’ve spoken to several our front-line staff who are thrilled to show our customers the world-class Air New Zealand customer service once again. We’d like to say a huge thanks to New Zealanders for standing by us while we’ve mainly been a domestic business for the past year. I’m extremely proud to say that we’ve got one of the most robust domestic businesses of any airline around the world. We look forward to being able to extend that across the Tasman. Pre-COVID-19, Australia was the largest tourism market for both our airline and New Zealand. We know a lot of tourism operators have been feeling the lack of international visitors so we’re looking forward to playing a role in New Zealand’s recovery. Using the strength of our domestic network we’ll be able to connect Australians with more destinations around the country. With the rest of the world still out of reach, New Zealand offers landscapes and experiences that are up there with the world’s best attractions.
The airline also notes that passengers will be required to wear masks during travel to and from Australia and screening questions will be asked at check-in.
Featured image by Air NewZealand
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