Air New Zealand will fly its 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft between Christchurch and Auckland three times a week to help transport cargo from the South Island to the rest of the world.
Air New Zealand General Manager Cargo Rick Nelson says these services are being launched in response to significant demand from the South Island freight forwarding and export communities.
The first flight will depart from Christchurch tomorrow night as part of a support agreement with the Ministry of Transport. The agreement sees the Dreamliner fly Christchurch to Auckland on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing Christchurch at 5pm and arriving in Auckland at 6:25pm so that cargo can then be airfreighted to other global destinations.
“Flights are timed so cargo goods are able to connect to our new Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Narita and Shanghai cargo flights, as well as onto our trans-Tasman flights from Auckland.
“As the nation emerges from lockdown, it’s critical our exporters in the South Island are well supported in order for them to remain viable. These Dreamliner services from Christchurch will allow exporters with high value, perishable and time sensitive goods access to a same day air cargo link into international services departing from Auckland.”
Passengers will also be able to book return flights on the Dreamliner services between Christchurch and Auckland.
Nov 18 (Reuters) – Air New Zealand Ltd said on Monday about 14,000 customers would be affected by cancellations this summer because of ongoing Rolls-Royce engine checks on its Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
The national carrier, which has 10 Trent 1000 engines on its 787-9 fleet, said the schedule changes were “now unavoidable”, adding that further changes may also be needed.
Rolls-Royce has been struggling to fix an issue on blades on the TEN variant, causing more and more passengers face disruptions due to checks and repair work.
“Rolls-Royce does not have any replacement engines available while maintenance work is undertaken and has advised Air New Zealand there’s significant wait for repair service,” said a statement by the airline.
Air New Zealand will suspend its twice-a-week seasonal Christchurch-Perth service – hitting 61 flights – and its second daily Auckland-Perth service from Dec. 10 until Jan 5, 2020.
“Going into the holiday season we’re acutely aware how important travel is to our customers, and our schedule changes are designed to keep cancellations to a minimum,” Air NZ’s Senior Manager Customer Care and Communications Doug Grant said in a statement.
Rolls-Royce’s cost to fix the issue jumped by another 800 million pounds ($1.02 billion), as the aerospace group promised to spend more on parts and replacement engines to reduce the time aircraft are grounded while turbine blades are replaced.
($1 = 0.7815 pounds)
(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Cooney and Tom Brown)
FORT WORTH, Texas — A trip to the breathtaking landscape of the majestic Southern Alps will become much shorter when American Airlines launches the only nonstop service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Christchurch, New Zealand (CHC), next October. The airline is also adding the only direct service between Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), which will increase connecting opportunities for more customers across the United States. These routes are a direct result of the recently approved joint business with Qantas, which delivers new customer benefits like enhanced codeshare opportunities and increased frequent flyer benefits for American and Qantas customers.
The gateway to the South Island
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and as the only carrier to operate this route, American will introduce its customers to one of the world’s most unique destinations.
“The South Island sums up everything that our customers are looking for in New Zealand — adventure, culture and wildlife found no where else,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “We want to make their lifelong dreams a reality and bring New Zealand’s beauty even closer as the gateway to the South Island where you can drive, hike, cruise and fly to a variety of classic New Zealand experiences.”
American will fly to CHC three times per week from October 2020 through March 2021 on a Boeing 787-8. The 787-8 features 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats, providing additional comfort for the 13-hour flight. The aircraft offers a variety of entertainment options for customers, with access to power at every seat, live television, and hundreds of movies, music, games and TV shows.
LAX to CHC creates unique one-stop connections to the South Island not previously available by any other carrier. Qantas and Jetstar will connect passengers from CHC on to Wellington and Melbourne — some of the most popular destinations in the Pacific.
A new way to New Zealand
American currently operates seasonal service from LAX to AKL and will add new service from DFW next year. Flights will be operated with American’s state-of-the-art 787-9, with 30 Flagship Business seats and 21 Premium Economy seats. New flights from DFW to AKL will enable new one-stop connections to New Zealand from more than 70 cities across the United States.
“Now, we’re able to get customers from places like Louisville, Savannah or Monterrey, Mexico, all the way to New Zealand with just one stop,” said Raja.
As American enhances its commitment to the region, seasonal LAX to AKL service will resume earlier next year — Oct. 7 — adding three weeks of service to the increasingly popular destination.
“The South Island is a must-see for any international visitor to New Zealand,” said Stephen England-Hall, Tourism New Zealand’s Chief Executive. “Thanks to the new nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Christchurch and Dallas-Fort Worth to Auckland, it’s is now easier than ever before to experience all that unique and welcoming New Zealand has to offer.”
Benefits of the Qantas Joint Business
American and Qantas recently received final approval to form a joint business, which promises significant customer benefits not possible through any other form of cooperation. The carriers have already rolled out improved frequent flyer benefits, including higher earning rates for points and status credits on each airline’s network, and have expanded codeshare routes on each other’s network. Qantas will also increase from six weekly flights between Sydney, Australia (SYD), and DFW to daily service by mid-2020. Additionally, Qantas announced new service from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Brisbane, Australia (BNE), which will launch in February and April respectively. Qantas will have its code on American’s new flights to New Zealand, giving Qantas frequent flyers more opportunities to earn and redeem Qantas points and status credits on American. Next year, American and Qantas will provide the most service to Australia and New Zealand from the United States.
LAX–AKL flights beginning in Oct. 2020 will be available for purchase starting Nov. 9. New LAX–CHC and DFW–AKL flights will be available for purchase starting Nov. 30.
What does this mean at LAX?
American and its partners serve more destinations to Asia/Pacific from LAX.
Customers traveling through LAX can take advantage of the most premium amenities of any carrier with three Admirals Club lounges, Flagship Lounge and Flagship Dining.
The new route launches a few months after the American Airlines Plaza opens at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The 298-acre world-class sports and entertainment destination is just three miles from the airport.
What does this mean at DFW?
In addition to new routes, American continues to invest in airport construction and development to deliver a world-class customer experience.
Customers can get cozy in five Admirals Club lounges and recently opened Flagship Lounge and Flagship Dining.
American’s growing network connects customers across the globe to more than 225 destinations in 31 countries from DFW.
WELLINGTON
(Reuters) – Air New Zealand Ltd said on Monday it has ordered eight
Boeing Co 787-10 Dreamliner jets worth $2.7 billion (2.12 billion
pounds) at list prices, to be powered by General Electric Co engines, as
part of a drive toward increased efficiency.
New
Zealand’s flag carrier also trimmed its earnings outlook citing higher
fuel prices, and said problems with Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC engines and
a moderation in demand growth have impacted its financial and
operational performance.
The
new plane order confirmed a Reuters report last week that Boeing had
beaten out rival Airbus SE, which had proposed the A350 for the hotly
contested deal.
The
airline, which has Rolls-Royce engines on its existing fleet of 13
787s, announced it had switched to GE engines for the new order.
The
787s will replace eight older 777-200ERs and leave the carrier with an
all-Boeing wide-body fleet as well as Airbus A320 family jets for
shorter flights.
The order comprises eight long-range 787-10s, with the agreement including an option to increase the number of aircraft to 20.
The
deal also gives the airline, which has previously mentioned a goal of
flying Auckland-New York non-stop, the option to switch some aircraft to
the longer range 787-9s.
“With
the 787-10 offering almost 15 percent more space for customers and
cargo than the 787-9, this investment creates the platform for our
future strategic direction and opens up new opportunities to grow,” Air
New Zealand Chief Executive Christopher Luxon said in a statement.
The eight jets will enter the Air New Zealand fleet between 2022 and 2027, the airline said.
“The
787-10 has 95 percent commonality with Air New Zealand’s existing fleet
of 787-9s and will provide the airline with added benefits in terms of
capacity and overall operations,” Vice President of Boeing Commercial
Sales and Marketing for Asia Pacific Christy Reese said.
The
787-10 is the largest member of Boeing’s Dreamliner series, and can
serve up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about
40 more than the 787-9 airplane.
The
airline said the 787 was 25 percent more fuel efficient than the jets
it is replacing, and noted that carriers typically receive large
discounts on the list price of jets.
HEADWIND
In
a separate announcement, Air New Zealand trimmed its 2019 earnings
before taxation, saying it now expects to beat NZ$340 million ($223
million). That compared with a forecast range of NZ$340 million to
NZ$400 million announced in late March.
The change was due to an additional NZ$25 million headwind from increased jet fuel prices, the company said.
The
airline also said Rolls-Royce engine issues – in which components
prematurely fail or needed extra checks – impacted 2,500 flights and led
to 150 cancellations, affecting its financial performance.
Air
New Zealand in March launched a two-year cost reduction programme and
said it would defer spending on aircraft by about NZ$750 million ($491
million) as part of a business review.
In
February, Air New Zealand slashed domestic fares by as much as 50
percent in a shake-up of its pricing structure in response to the
slackening travel market.
(Reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington, Aditya Soni in Bengaluru and Jamie Freed in Singapore; Editing Richard Pullin and Christopher Cushing)
PARIS (Reuters) – Air New Zealand Ltd has decided to buy wide-body planes from Boeing Co, people with direct knowledge of the matter said, ending an 18 month battle between the U.S. aircraft maker and European rival Airbus SE.
The carrier has been considering replacing eight Boeing 777-200ER aircraft in a deal worth over $2 billion at list prices, though carriers typically receive steep discounts. Air New Zealand already uses Boeing wide-bodies exclusively on long-haul flights, and Airbus single-aisle jets on shorter routes.
The final choices under consideration were the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, Air New Zealand Chief Financial Officer Jeff McDowall said in a video interview with the New Zealand Herald published on Saturday.
“They are both fantastic aircraft,” McDowall said. “Both produce a fantastic customer experience compared to the existing aircraft but also a lower cost and lower carbon emissions… We expect to make a decision soon, in the next month.”
Air New Zealand already operates 13 787-9 jets and has one more on order. The airline did not respond to a Reuters’ request for comment. It will hold an annual investor briefing on May 27.
Boeing and Airbus declined to comment. The people with direct knowledge of the matter declined to be identified ahead of a public announcement.
Air New Zealand’s chief executive, Christopher Luxon, last year told Reuters the larger Boeing 777X was also under consideration, and that the airline planned to use the new jets to begin longer routes such as Auckland to New York and Brazil.
In March, CFO McDowall in an analyst briefing said the airline would need fewer replacement jets in 2023 than initially anticipated due to changes in its flight network.
Air New Zealand began a two-year cost reduction program in March and deferred aircraft capital expenditure of about NZ$750 million ($490.1 million) as part of a business review.
A month earlier, it slashed domestic fares by as much as 50% in a shake-up of its pricing structure in response to a slackening travel market.
(Reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris; Additional reporting by Praveen Menon in WELLINGTON; Editing by Stephen Coates and Christopher Cushing)
FILE PHOTO: An Air New Zealand Airbus A320-200 plane takes off from Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia, February 22, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz/File Photo
