Air New Zealand is investing heavily in its international fleet to support the growth of New Zealand's tourism industry throughout the year. Air New Zealand's CEO, Greg Foran, announced during TRENZ 2023 that the airline plans to operate 39 international routes with 4.5 million seats between March and October this year. Foran emphasised that the investments in new and retrofitted aircraft, capacity updates, and marketing campaigns show the airline's commitment to making New Zealand more accessible to visitors.
The fleet investment includes the purchase of eight new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and five Airbus A320neo aircraft, which will increase the number of seats on the Tasman and Pacific Island services. The airline also plans to refurbish the interiors of its 14 Boeing 787 aircraft, including the addition of a new Business Premier Luxe and refreshed cabins. The airline is in final negotiations to acquire another Boeing 777-300ER, which could add 3,000 more seats per week to the international network, bringing the total fleet of 777-300s to eight.
Air New Zealand's international network is operating at 91% of pre-COVID capacity, with bookings remaining steady. The North America network is close to pre-COVID levels, and the New York route is showing strong demand. Later this year, United Airlines will launch new routes from San Francisco-Christchurch and Los Angeles-Auckland, further increasing North America capacity. The airline's capacity on its Asia network is at 117% of pre-COVID levels, with Singapore remaining a key hub. The domestic network is back to pre-COVID levels, with added seats to Christchurch, Hamilton, Napier, and Nelson.
To support New Zealand's tourism industry, Air New Zealand plans to invest NZ$30 million in marketing campaigns this year and rebuild its offshore Sales and Marketing teams.
