Air New Zealand will launch three weekly year-round flights between Auckland and New York-JFK from September 17, 2022. The route will be operated with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner featuring 27 Business, 33 Premium Economy and 215 Economy Class seats.
On Tuesday (March 22, 2022), Air New Zealand announced that they will launch nonstop service between Auckland and New York-JFK starting September 17, 2022. The route will operate year-round with three weekly flights and will be serviced with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Flights will depart New York at 21:55, allowing guests to hit the ground running when they wake up in Auckland. With Air New Zealand’s strong partnership with United Airlines, U.S. customers can conveniently connect to New Zealand and beyond via New York.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Air New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Foran, said,
“This is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world. We've been keeping all the best spots, and hidden gems warm for our visitors while they've been gone and now, we're ready to show them what they've been missing. The US has always been a key market for us, and this new route cements our commitment to growing opportunities for tourism between the two countries. In the six years leading up to Covid, the US visitor numbers to New Zealand doubled so we expect our much-awaited non-stop service to be incredibly strong year-round.
“Traditionally, flight numbers 1 and 2 are used for an airline's flagship route. And that’s what New York will be – our flagship route. We've worked incredibly hard over the past few years to make this ultra-long-haul service a reality – it's one of the longest routes in the world, at just over 16 hours northbound and 17 and a half hours southbound. We know almost three-quarters of visitors from the US travel beyond New Zealand's main tourist centres so once customers arrive in Auckland, we have connections to 20 different regions around the country, all within two hours. Visitors will not run out of places to see.”
Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners feature 27 Business Class, 22 Premium Economy and 215 Economy Class seats, as well as 13 Economy Skycouches. The carrier’s innovative Skycouches are private Economy seats that convert into a couch after takeoff so guests can spread out, lie down or get some sleep. Air New Zealand has put a lot of effort into the onboard long-haul sleep experience for Premium customers, including the introduction of relaxing balms, sleepy teas and snacks. The carrier will also launch ‘Zentertainment’ on their IFE system to encourage restful sleep. Additionally, prior to landing in Auckland, guests will be treated to a brunch service which includes a classic Kiwi flat white coffee.
Founded in 1940 with service between Auckland and Sydney with a flying boat, Air New Zealand today operates a fleet of 96 aircraft including Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s, as well as ATR and De Havilland Canada turboprop aircraft. The airline’s modern fuel-efficient fleet has an average age of 6.3 years. Prior to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Air New Zealand carried over 17 million passengers annually with 3,400 weekly flights. The carrier connects customers and cargo to 20 regions across New Zealand and offers direct international service to major cities across Australia, Asia and the U.S.
Source: Air New Zealand