Air NZ puts temporary hold on new bookings
‘‘We accept this is a necessary short-term measure given the limited capacity in quarantine facilities.’’
Cam Wallace Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand will start bumping hundreds of passengers from international flights to New Zealand to ensure quarantine facilities are not overwhelmed, the airline’s chief commercial and customer officer Cam Wallace says.
The national carrier has put a freeze on new bookings as it works with the Government to safely manage an influx of Kiwis returning home to seek refuge from a worsening global pandemic.
Air New Zealand said, at the request of the Government, it would impose a temporary hold on new bookings for three weeks from yesterday.
Wallace said some passengers would need to be moved to another flight due to the airline aligning daily arrivals with capacity available at managed isolation facilities.
‘‘We accept this is a necessary short-term measure given the limited capacity in quarantine facilities and we’re keen to do what we can to help New Zealand’s continued success in its fight against Covid-19,’’ Wallace said.
That was likely to start happening in the next two or three weeks, when there were more passengers booked than there was space for in quarantine facilities, Wallace told RNZ.
The airline would be contacting affected customers directly, he said.
Megan Woods, the minister responsible for managed isolation and quarantine of returning New Zealanders, said bookings for seats on Air New Zealand flights into the country would be managed in the short term to ensure the Government was able to safely put Kiwis arriving home into a managed isolation or quarantine facility.
Woods said at a press conference yesterday that anyone who had already bought a ticket to fly back to New Zealand in the next three weeks would still be able to fly.
‘‘Those who have planned their trips and booked flights can still come home,’’ Woods said.
‘‘However, Kiwis who did not already have tickets would not be able to book flights in the next three weeks. We won’t let our border facilities reach maximum capacity.’’
Woods said the facilities weren’t running out of space but it did need to be managed.
‘‘We’re doing this so we can have a very strong line of defence.
‘‘Air New Zealand makes up about 80 per cent of the inflow into the country so it was critical they were on board. The Government had also been in talks with other airlines about taking similar measures,’’ Woods said.
To Kiwis who were still waiting to come home, Woods said ‘‘thank you’’.
‘‘We are asking you to do your part to keep your country safe, we have made remarkable gains through sacrifice.’’
Health Minister Chris Hipkins said yesterday there were 6378 beds available, with 5787 people occupying them.
‘‘We do have a responsibility to ensure that New Zealanders who are returning home can return home.
‘‘I don’t think there’s any appetite in Government to shut off that ability’’ for people to come home, he said.