You’re a braver man than I to use such definitive statements. I’m not saying Air NZ will fly domestically in Aus, just that if there was a viable business case, they could.
No one knows what the post COVID 19 economy will look like, never mind the aviation sector. Air NZ might decide that utilising $80 million assets that they’re paying leasing fees on anyway, and getting a foothold in the Aussie market stacks up, even if they have to forfeit a codeshare agreement.
Anything is possible