Air NZ reboots Seoul route from Auckland

An Air New Zealand flight has departed Auckland International Airport for South Korea for the first time in more than two decades.

Air New Zealand flight NZ75 departed Auckland International Airport for Seoul’s Incheon International Airport about noon on Saturday.

The 12-hour flight, serviced by one of Air New Zealand’s problem-plagued 787-9 Dreamliners, landed in Seoul about midnight (7.50pm Korea time).

In March, the national carrier announced it was launching the new Seoul service with three flights per week during the offseason and up to five flights per week during the peak holiday period from late December to midFebruary.

Up until now, Korean Air had been the only airline flying between Korea and New Zealand.

Air New Zealand used to fly Auckland to Seoul in the mid1990s but dropped the service because of reduced demand.

Air New Zealand acting chief executive Jeff McDowall, who was on the inaugural service, said inbound tourism from South Korea to New Zealand had grown significantly in recent years.

Seoul, with a population of more than 10 million residents, would be a popular destination for New Zealand travellers, he said.

The route would also be an important link for the 40,000 Koreans living in New Zealand.

The Air New Zealand service, which departs Auckland on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, features economy (with Skycouch), premium economy and business premier cabins.

A return economy airfare on Air New Zealand in early March starts from about $1370. A return business class ticket in early March starts from about $4900.

Korean Air return fares in early March start from about $1440 for economy and $5590 for its prestige suites.

It is one of a number of new destinations added by the national carrier, alongside flights to Chicago and Taipei which started late last year as part of its focus on Pacific Rim services.

After launching the Taipei and Chicago services, Air New Zealand also increased the frequency of those services from three flights per week to five during peak season.

This year the airline has brought in a number of changes, including axing its long-standing Los Angeles-London service, and introducing a new service into Newark which is set to start next year.

McDowall said the airline had seen demand growth start to slow down domestically and from overseas, prompting it to reset its network plan.

Where it had previously planned 5-7 per cent growth in the next few years, it was now looking at 3-5 per cent. It needed to tap into new markets to achieve growth, he said.

Tourists were already coming to New Zealand from Korea but often indirectly through Japan or Australia.

Air New Zealand hoped to pick up those passengers but also to grow the market through adding direct capacity, McDowall said.

The airline’s approach would be similar to one it had used with Japan.

Ten years ago Japan was not looked at as a holiday destination. ‘‘But now they do.’’