Air NZ Says To Increase Flights To Australia
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Air NZ Says To Increase Flights To Australia
Dow Jones
Wednesday March 24, 2:54 PM AEDT
Air NZ Says To Increase Flights To Australia From July
WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--Air New Zealand said Wednesday it will increase flights to Australia from July 2 in a move that will add an extra 100,000 seats a year to the airline's trans-Tasman capacity.
The extra nine flights a week will be shared between Christchurch and Melbourne, Christchurch and Brisbane, and Auckland and Brisbane, the airline said in a statement.
Air New Zealand currently flies to Australia 116 times a week and the increase scheduled for July will take that figure to 125 flights a week.
Auckland to Brisbane flights will increase to 12 a week from nine, Christchurch to Melbourne flights will increase to 12 flights a week from seven, and Christchurch to Brisbane flights will increase to five a week from four.
-Wellington Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 64-4-471-5990; [email protected]
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Wednesday March 24, 2:54 PM AEDT
Air NZ Says To Increase Flights To Australia From July
WELLINGTON (Dow Jones)--Air New Zealand said Wednesday it will increase flights to Australia from July 2 in a move that will add an extra 100,000 seats a year to the airline's trans-Tasman capacity.
The extra nine flights a week will be shared between Christchurch and Melbourne, Christchurch and Brisbane, and Auckland and Brisbane, the airline said in a statement.
Air New Zealand currently flies to Australia 116 times a week and the increase scheduled for July will take that figure to 125 flights a week.
Auckland to Brisbane flights will increase to 12 a week from nine, Christchurch to Melbourne flights will increase to 12 flights a week from seven, and Christchurch to Brisbane flights will increase to five a week from four.
-Wellington Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 64-4-471-5990; [email protected]
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Air NZ piles on extra planes to fly Tasman
NZPA
Air NZ piles on extra planes to fly Tasman
24 March 2004
Encouraged by the uptake of its Tasman Express service to and from Australia, Air New Zealand today announced it was increasing the number of flights by 8 per cent.
From July 2, the airline will increase its total number of flights to Australia to 125 per week from 116, making available an additional 100,000 seats a year.
The company said that since launching Tasman Express in October the airline had had a 15 per cent increase in passengers. This is in spite of new competition on the route from airlines such as Emirates and Pacific Blue.
Marketing manager Norm Thompson Air New Zealand now had more flights and offered more flexibility than Qantas with which it is still attempting to form an alliance.
The new flights will be shared between Christchurch and Melbourne, Christchurch and Brisbane and Auckland and Brisbane.
Auckland to Brisbane daily services will increase from nine to 12 services per week using a Boeing 747-400 Airbus A320 aircraft.
Christchurch to Melbourne daily services will increase from seven to 12 using A320 planes.
The new schedule will offer a morning departure from Christchurch at 6.10am as well as an afternoon flight at 3.35pm.
Christchurch to Brisbane services will increase from four to five services per week, with improved scheduling resulting in two afternoon and three evening services.
Mr Thompson said the latest tourism figures reflected the success of Tasman Express. Tourism New Zealand figures showed consecutive growth in visitor numbers from Australia with a record 67,400 travellers coming to New Zealand in January of this year, an increase of 26.8 per cent on the same period of the previous year.
The Australian Tourist Commission shows New Zealanders visiting Australia have also been on the rise, up 14 per cent in January 2004 to 53,600.
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Air NZ piles on extra planes to fly Tasman
24 March 2004
Encouraged by the uptake of its Tasman Express service to and from Australia, Air New Zealand today announced it was increasing the number of flights by 8 per cent.
From July 2, the airline will increase its total number of flights to Australia to 125 per week from 116, making available an additional 100,000 seats a year.
The company said that since launching Tasman Express in October the airline had had a 15 per cent increase in passengers. This is in spite of new competition on the route from airlines such as Emirates and Pacific Blue.
Marketing manager Norm Thompson Air New Zealand now had more flights and offered more flexibility than Qantas with which it is still attempting to form an alliance.
The new flights will be shared between Christchurch and Melbourne, Christchurch and Brisbane and Auckland and Brisbane.
Auckland to Brisbane daily services will increase from nine to 12 services per week using a Boeing 747-400 Airbus A320 aircraft.
Christchurch to Melbourne daily services will increase from seven to 12 using A320 planes.
The new schedule will offer a morning departure from Christchurch at 6.10am as well as an afternoon flight at 3.35pm.
Christchurch to Brisbane services will increase from four to five services per week, with improved scheduling resulting in two afternoon and three evening services.
Mr Thompson said the latest tourism figures reflected the success of Tasman Express. Tourism New Zealand figures showed consecutive growth in visitor numbers from Australia with a record 67,400 travellers coming to New Zealand in January of this year, an increase of 26.8 per cent on the same period of the previous year.
The Australian Tourist Commission shows New Zealanders visiting Australia have also been on the rise, up 14 per cent in January 2004 to 53,600.
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NZPA
Air NZ boosts Freedom Air capacity
25 March 2004
Air New Zealand is going for an even bigger slice of the trans-Tasman cake, with plans to boost capacity on its discount international carrier Freedom Air by 25 per cent.
Freedom Air, wholly owned by Air New Zealand, announced today it would lease an additional Boeing 737-300.
The aircraft is expected to begin flights in October with tickets going on sale next month.
The announcement comes just a day after Air New Zealand said it was ramping up the number of flights on its Tasman Express service by eight per cent.
From July 2, Air New Zealand will increase its total number of flights to Australia to 125 per week from 116, making available an additional 100,000 seats a year.
Although Freedom Air will begin flights to Fiji in April, its main routes are trans-Tasman.
Freedom said it would increase services on existing routes, but was also considering new opportunities.
Air New Zealand's chief executive officer and managing director Ralph Norris said today New Zealand's flagship carrier would continue to offer Tasman and Pacific Express alongside Freedom Air on short-haul international routes.
Air New Zealand's aggressive moves are in the face of increased competition both domestically and on the trans-Tasman route.
Competition is hotting up across the Tasman not just from the usual suspects, but airlines new to the trans-Tasman route, such as Emirates and Lan Chile, which recently received permission to fly the route.
Meanwhile on the domestic front, Qantas announced today it was slashing fares by almost half on flights within New Zealand for travel in May and June.
A one-way ticket, booked on the Internet, between Christchurch and Wellington will cost $29 when Qantas starts flights on that route in May, according to the airline's web site.
The price will rise to $55 in July.
Pacific Blue, a unit of Virgin Blue Airlines, has also confirmed it plans to fly New Zealand domestic routes by the end of the year.
The company currently operates trans-Tasman flights out of Christchurch and Wellington and has announced it will boost its capacity within the next 12 months, with two more planes to add to its two existing Boeing 737s.
Air New Zealand shares were unchanged at 38 cents shortly after the announcement, having traded between 36 cents and 64 cents over the past 12 months.
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Air NZ boosts Freedom Air capacity
25 March 2004
Air New Zealand is going for an even bigger slice of the trans-Tasman cake, with plans to boost capacity on its discount international carrier Freedom Air by 25 per cent.
Freedom Air, wholly owned by Air New Zealand, announced today it would lease an additional Boeing 737-300.
The aircraft is expected to begin flights in October with tickets going on sale next month.
The announcement comes just a day after Air New Zealand said it was ramping up the number of flights on its Tasman Express service by eight per cent.
From July 2, Air New Zealand will increase its total number of flights to Australia to 125 per week from 116, making available an additional 100,000 seats a year.
Although Freedom Air will begin flights to Fiji in April, its main routes are trans-Tasman.
Freedom said it would increase services on existing routes, but was also considering new opportunities.
Air New Zealand's chief executive officer and managing director Ralph Norris said today New Zealand's flagship carrier would continue to offer Tasman and Pacific Express alongside Freedom Air on short-haul international routes.
Air New Zealand's aggressive moves are in the face of increased competition both domestically and on the trans-Tasman route.
Competition is hotting up across the Tasman not just from the usual suspects, but airlines new to the trans-Tasman route, such as Emirates and Lan Chile, which recently received permission to fly the route.
Meanwhile on the domestic front, Qantas announced today it was slashing fares by almost half on flights within New Zealand for travel in May and June.
A one-way ticket, booked on the Internet, between Christchurch and Wellington will cost $29 when Qantas starts flights on that route in May, according to the airline's web site.
The price will rise to $55 in July.
Pacific Blue, a unit of Virgin Blue Airlines, has also confirmed it plans to fly New Zealand domestic routes by the end of the year.
The company currently operates trans-Tasman flights out of Christchurch and Wellington and has announced it will boost its capacity within the next 12 months, with two more planes to add to its two existing Boeing 737s.
Air New Zealand shares were unchanged at 38 cents shortly after the announcement, having traded between 36 cents and 64 cents over the past 12 months.
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Air NZ ramps up low-cost operation
Fri "Sydney Morning Herald"
Air NZ ramps up low-cost operation
By Scott Rochfort
March 26, 2004
Air New Zealand took its most aggressive stance against Virgin Blue's trans-Tasman plans yesterday, after the airline ramped up the role of its low-cost offshoot Freedom Air.
Just one day after Air NZ announced it would add extra flights into Pacific Blue's home base of Christchurch, the airline said it would build the Freedom fleet to five 737s, effectively lifting its passenger capacity by 25 per cent.
After already boasting Freedom has 30 per cent lower operating costs than both Jetstar and Virgin Blue, Air NZ said the new aircraft would come into service this October.
Launched in 1995 with one 737-300, Freedom Air has not increased its fleet since taking on its fourth aircraft in 2000.
Last month, Air NZ hinted it would use Freedom as a major weapon against Virgin Blue, when it gave the budget carrier the "mandate" to fly to destinations anywhere within a five-hour range of New Zealand.
Seen as an attempt to head off the planned launch of Pacific Blue services to Fiji and Vanuatu later this year, Freedom will start flying to Fiji next month. Freedom spokesman Rachel Gardiner said: "At this stage we are looking at all opportunities . . . but it's more than likely that [the fifth aircraft] will top up existing routes."
There are suggestions Freedom could enter the capital city trunk routes across the Tasman, adding to its current flights from the secondary airports of Dunedin, Hamilton and Palmerston North.
Virgin Blue's head of strategy David Huttner said: "Air New Zealand seems to believe that by lowering the fares in markets in anticipation of our entry the public will somehow forget how they've been ripped off over the years.
"We have no doubt that Air New Zealand's load factors are up. [But a] load factor does not make you a profitable airline and Air New Zealand has said for many years that the trans-Tasman was not a money maker."
Air NZ reported its first trans-Tasman profit last financial last financial year in five years.
After commencing flights to New Zealand in late January, Pacific Blue now flies two 737s.
But Mr Huttner said Virgin could quickly ramp up its fleet.
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Air NZ ramps up low-cost operation
By Scott Rochfort
March 26, 2004
Air New Zealand took its most aggressive stance against Virgin Blue's trans-Tasman plans yesterday, after the airline ramped up the role of its low-cost offshoot Freedom Air.
Just one day after Air NZ announced it would add extra flights into Pacific Blue's home base of Christchurch, the airline said it would build the Freedom fleet to five 737s, effectively lifting its passenger capacity by 25 per cent.
After already boasting Freedom has 30 per cent lower operating costs than both Jetstar and Virgin Blue, Air NZ said the new aircraft would come into service this October.
Launched in 1995 with one 737-300, Freedom Air has not increased its fleet since taking on its fourth aircraft in 2000.
Last month, Air NZ hinted it would use Freedom as a major weapon against Virgin Blue, when it gave the budget carrier the "mandate" to fly to destinations anywhere within a five-hour range of New Zealand.
Seen as an attempt to head off the planned launch of Pacific Blue services to Fiji and Vanuatu later this year, Freedom will start flying to Fiji next month. Freedom spokesman Rachel Gardiner said: "At this stage we are looking at all opportunities . . . but it's more than likely that [the fifth aircraft] will top up existing routes."
There are suggestions Freedom could enter the capital city trunk routes across the Tasman, adding to its current flights from the secondary airports of Dunedin, Hamilton and Palmerston North.
Virgin Blue's head of strategy David Huttner said: "Air New Zealand seems to believe that by lowering the fares in markets in anticipation of our entry the public will somehow forget how they've been ripped off over the years.
"We have no doubt that Air New Zealand's load factors are up. [But a] load factor does not make you a profitable airline and Air New Zealand has said for many years that the trans-Tasman was not a money maker."
Air NZ reported its first trans-Tasman profit last financial last financial year in five years.
After commencing flights to New Zealand in late January, Pacific Blue now flies two 737s.
But Mr Huttner said Virgin could quickly ramp up its fleet.
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