Grant Bradley Air NZ extends pause on Chicago
Air New Zealand won’t fly directly to Chicago until mid-2025, affecting thousands of passengers.
Last month the airline abruptly said it would pause the three times a week service until October, but now says its made the “tough decision” to not resume the non-stop flights until the middle of next year.
It says limits on plane availability due to ongoing Rolls-Royce engine challenges mean it’s had to extend the pause to its Chicago service.
While it’s putting more capacity on Asian routes, the North American routes are where it faces its hottest long-haul competition.
“Unfortunately, ongoing challenges with the availability of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines on our 787-9 aircraft means we haven’t been able to return to our Chicago route in October as expected,” said general manager long haul Scott Carr. He expected the airline would return to Chicago when it gets its new 787 aircraft from Boeing, now due in the second half of 2025.
The first of eight Dreamliners are due for delivery then, after delays caused by manufacturing problems at Boeing plants.
“Over the next few days, our teams will be in touch directly with customers who have bookings on our Chicago route from October to share their options,” said Carr.
Those who booked via a travel agent should contact their agent to confirm changes to their itinerary.
“While we know this news of a further pause will be disappointing for customers with travel plans to Chicago, there are still plenty of options to travel to the city with a stopover in another US port.”
The airline will return to Hobart and Seoul in October after both were paused during the New Zealand winter.
The Auckland-to-Hobart and Auckland-to-Seoul routes will be seasonal services, with Air NZ operating three direct flights a week to each destination over summer, from October to March.
The airline will also be expanding its capacity on key Asian routes, with Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei all having increases in seat numbers on offer between November and March as a result of the introduction of Air New Zealand’s larger 777-300 aircraft on these routes.
The increase includes a higher proportion of premium seats, giving customers more opportunities to travel with extra space and comfort.
The 777-300 aircraft also have a 30 per cent higher cargo capability than the 787 aircraft they replace.
Carr said premium cabins were “incredibly popular” with travellers to and from destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei.
“So we’re excited to introduce increased capacity from November to give those customers more seats to book travel. We’re committed to connecting New Zealand with the world and these schedule changes mean we can continue to do that.”