Air NZ lifts Qld frequency

AIR New Zealand last night reaffirmed its determination to be the “airline of choice for the Tasman,” particularly in Queensland where the carrier continues to boost flights out of both Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

At an event to launch the airline’s new non-stop flights from Brisbane to Wellington and Queenstown (TD 09 Apr), Country Manager Kathryn Robertson told Travel Daily the expanded routes together represented a 44% increase in capacity.

From 18 Dec, NZ will operate up to four times weekly BNE-ZQN, with the services arriving in the adventure haven at 2.30pm, an ideal time for the leisure market.

Air NZ will also operate up to five times weekly between Brisbane and Wellington, with the newly launched routes part of an overall 15% seat capacity boost across the Tasman by the airline.

Robertson noted that the new routes would utilise Air New Zealand’s brand new Airbus A321neo aircraft, the first of which arrived last week.

“These planes represent a significant step in Air NZ’s strategy to replace ageing aircraft, grow the short haul network and improve customer experience,” she said, with the A321neos offering wider seats and improved inflight entertainment and digital offerings.

The new Wellington and Queenstown routes also aim to boost Australian dispersal to regional areas of the country, with the launch coinciding with Tourism New Zealand’s renewed “100% Pure” campaign, broadening its focus to highlight the welcoming spirit of Kiwis in and around the major cities.

Robertson didn’t comment directly on the cessation last month of NZ’s longstanding Tasman alliance with Virgin Australia, however the routes launched last night see NZ compete with its former partner.

The newly minted “domestic partnership” with Qantas (TD 01 Jun) had opened up opportunities for Air NZ to more easily reach customers flying from different parts of Australia across the Tasman, Robertson said.