Air New Zealand quick to launch new routes to Australia following split with Virgin Australia

• April 10, 2018
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Air New Zealand has sprung into action to tighten grip on the lucrative Trans-Tasman market following their split with Virgin Australia earlier this month. The airlines had been in partnership and revenue revenue share agreement since 2010. Air New Zealand announced they will not be renewing the agreement that expires in October this year.

With Emirates pulling daily services out of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne on the Airbus A380 the void created have got Trans-Tasman route operators scrambling to grab the share. Qantas has increased capacity by operating a Airbus A330 and Air New Zealand have announced new routes to Australia.

The airline will launch two new routes across the Tasman from December this year and add an extra 15% seat capacity across all its Tasman services year on year.

From 18 December 2018, Air New Zealand will operate up to four times a week between Queenstown and Brisbane, increasing the airline’s total international capacity out of the resort town by 20 percent.  It will also operate up to five times a week between Wellington and Brisbane, a 15 percent increase or 20,000 seats.

In addition to the new routes, Air New Zealand is adding significant extra trans-Tasman capacity into and out of Christchurch from 28 October 2018.  This includes moving to double daily on peak days of the week to both Melbourne and Brisbane, and double daily Monday to Friday for Sydney.  This represents a 15% increase in capacity or about 35,000 extra seats on Christchurch trans-Tasman routes alone.

Air New Zealand will also offer 125,000 additional trans-Tasman seats ex Auckland, including a new business timed morning flight to Melbourne, more evening flights to Brisbane and a new middle of the day flight to Sydney.