cement position

Air New Zealand going all out to cement position

By Paul Yavala

AIR New Zealand is going all out to cement its position as an Australasian carrier in the next five years.

That’s the primary objective that Chris Hunter, Air New Zealand’s Pacific Islands manager, was at pains to explain during his tour of the region in August.

For the immediate future, it will mean increased services to a num ber of Pacific islands and for other islands in the region it will be in terms of increased capacity.

Still, for some it will be a mix ture of both increased services and more airline seats.

From December 6. 1999, flights between Auckland and Tahiti will increase to four times a week with the introduction of a second non stop 8767-300 flight on a Tuesday.

A second flight (8767-300) has been added between Auckland and Noumea on a Tuesday, subject to government’s approval, and the Sat urday Auckland-Noumea 8737-200 has been replaced with 8737-300.

A fifth fiight (8737-300) is added to the Auckland-Rarotonga route and a third service is intro duced between Auckland and Apia.

There will also be four addition al flights in December to cater for the traditional Christmas demand to Samoa with extra flights scheduled for return trips in January.

Capacity also changes on the j

Auckland to Tonga and Auckland to

Norfolk Island routes with a 8737-300 replacing the 8737-200 on both.

For Fiji, Air New Zealand is increasing capacity between Nadi and Los Angeles by 19 per cent from December this year.

The Friday service, which is now a 8767-300 operation, will be replaced by a

8747-400 flight.

This will bring an additional 200 seats on a key day of the week northbound from Nadi to Los Angeles and southbound on Saturday from Los Angeles to Nadi and

onwards to Auckland.

“This also provides connections from the UK and European markets as well,” said Hunter.

“We are not only increasing frequency

and capacity to the Pacific Islands but we are also increasing frequency on our Aus tralia/Auckland routes by 28 per cent with the introduction of two new 8737-300 s.

“Our new schedule will maximise the connections between Australia, the Pacific Islands and North America over Auckland

and means even greater access to the Pacific Islands by New Zealan ders and Australians,” he said.

In its bid to create a “unified and sound” Australasian airline system.

Air New Zealand will work closely with Ansett which is 50 per cent owned by Air New Zealand.

In this regard, according to Hunter, “our partners in the Star Alliance network will look to us to provide the skills, experience and resources for offering airline services and

associated products.”

A new codeshare agreement with united Airlines on the Tasman means that United will codeshare with Air New Zealand between

Auckland, Wellington,

Christchurch, Queenstown and Syd ney and between Auckland and Perth.

To the Pacific Islands, United will codeshare with Air New Zealand flights between Los Angeles and Tahiti and Fiji.

In the United States, Air New Zealand will codeshare on return flights between Los Angeles and Phoenix, Arizona, Miami, Florida, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Honolulu.

There will also be a codeshare in a return United flight between Hon olulu and San Francisco.

The expansion, which was effective from July 24 this year, brings to 12 the number of United States cities Air New Zealand now flies to beyond the Los Angeles gateway.

This United codeshare further extends Air New Zealand’s network

with its codeshare partners.

Codeshare flights on Lufthansa have been extended to six additional points in Europe between Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna and Brussels.

At the same time, British Midland code share flights have been extended between London and Brussels, Dublin and Amster dam. Other cities which Air New Zealand

Continued overleaf

Ail New Zealand's Pacific Islands manager, Chris Hunter

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codeshares with British Midland in the UK are Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester and Teeside.

What is more. Air New Zealand can now boast to be a global operator.

“In Europe, for example, we have spent significant investment in developing

round-the-world product in conjunction

with Singapore Airlines,” Hunter said.

The agreement allows Air New Zealand to codeshare on Singapore Air lines from London to Singapore and then connect with Air New Zealand services to New Zealand and the Pacific.

“Then there is a number of other prod ucts and ventures of a similar nature we are promoting,” Hunter said.

On the Auckland/Japan route, capacity has been increased by replacing Boeing 767-300 s with Boeing 747-400 s on two services to Tokyo. For the first time, a daily service (8767-300) will be intro duced between Auckland and Tokyo.

Other changes in Asia are a fourth 8767 service between Auckland and Hong Kong and Taipei. ■