Air New Zealand has announced that it will launch a new nonstop flight to New York. The airline will fly to the Big Apple starting in September this year.
Starting 17th September 2022, Air New Zealand will operate 3-flights-a-week between Auckland International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The inaugural flight to New York will run with the following schedule:
- Auckland-New York
- Departure time: 16:00
- Arrival time: 16:15
- Flight time: 16 hours and 15 minutes
- Flight number: NZ2
The regular scheduled flights on Auckland-New York-Auckland will run with the following schedule:
- Auckland-New York
- Departure time: 19:40
- Arrival time: 19:55
- Flight time: 16 hours and 15 minutes
- Flight number: NZ2
- Frequency: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
- New York-Auckland
- Departure time: 21:55
- Arrival time: 07:30 (+2 days)
- Flight time: 17 hours and :5 minutes
- Flight number: NZ1
- Frequency: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Related: Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY Airlines announces flights to New York
Flights will be operated by Boeing B787-9 aircraft. The configuration of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that will service this route offers more Premium seats than other Dreamliners in the airline’s fleet. The aircraft features 27 Business Class seats, 33 Premium Economy seats, 13 Economy Skycouches (3 Economy seats that convert into a couch after take-off) and 215 standard Economy Class seats.
The announcement from the airline has come after the government of New Zealand recently confirmed that it will reopen its borders to international travellers in April 2022.
Greg Foran, Chief Executive Officer, Air New Zealand, said:
This is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world. We’ve been keeping all the best spots, and hidden gems warm for our visitors while they’ve been gone and now, we’re ready to show them what they’ve been missing. The US has always been a key market for us, and this new route cements our commitment to growing opportunities for tourism between the two countries. In the six years leading up to Covid, the US visitor numbers to New Zealand doubled so we expect our much-awaited non-stop service to be incredibly strong year-round.
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New Zealand is home to magnificent landscapes, a tremendous amount of adrenalin inducing activities, scenic tours, wellness retreats and great food and wine trails.
Flights between Auckland and New York will get the “prestigious” number 1 & 2. Normally, these numbers are given to a airline’s flagship route and that’s what Air New Zealand is doing here.
Greg continued:
Traditionally, flight numbers 1 and 2 are used for an airline’s flagship route. And that’s what New York will be – our flagship route. We’ve worked incredibly hard over the past few years to make this ultra-long-haul service a reality – it’s one of the longest routes in the world, at just over 16 hours northbound and 17 and a half hours southbound.
The flag carrier of New Zealand adds that it has “put a lot of thought into the onboard experience and a particular focus on the sleep ritual for Premium customers, introducing relaxing balms and sleepy teas and snacks”. For those needing help to unwind a little more, the airline will launch ‘Zentertainment’ on its inflight entertainment system to encourage a restful sleep. And before descent into Auckland, a brunch service including a classic Kiwi flat white coffee will be offered.
The airline states that with the launch of flights to New York, it is further deepening the alliance between Air New Zealand and United Airlines. Through the airline’s strong partnership with United Airlines, domestic customers across the US can easily connect to New Zealand through New York as well as Air New Zealand’s other gateways.
Greg added:
We know almost three-quarters of visitors from the US travel beyond New Zealand’s main tourist centres so once customers arrive in Auckland, we have connections to 20 different regions around the country, all within two hours. Visitors will not run out of places to see.
Featured image by Air New Zealand
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