The arrival at Auckland Airport of Air Canada’s new service on Saturday kickstarts a $38 million injection into the New Zealand economy.
New Zealand is an increasingly popular destination with 70,000 Canadians choosing to visit in 2018, up 6.7 per cent from the previous year.
Similarly, New Zealand visitor numbers grew significantly with 34,000 visitors to Canada in 2018, up 12 per cent.
"We’re proud of the contribution this will make to growing travel and trade in New Zealand," says General manager of aeronautical commercial Scott Tasker.
"When they arrive here, the majority of Canadians travel beyond New Zealand’s main tourist centres to the regions which spreads the positive economic impact across the country.
"By adding 30,000 seats to the route it will inject around $38 million into the New Zealand economy."
"The North American market presents a significant opportunity for the New Zealand tourism sector so it’s great to see another service being added to the existing network," says Tourism New Zealand chief executive Stephen England-Hall.
The new non-stop service to Vancouver provides a seamless connection to New Zealand for travellers from across Canada, and great connectivity across North America for Kiwis.
"Vancouver airport is a world-class hub and will connect travellers into Air Canada’s global network of nearly 220 destination on six continents. Travellers arriving in Vancouver will have an added advantage of pre-clearing US customs and immigration formalities before boarding connecting flights to the US," says Scott.
The new seasonal service will operate four times per week with Air Canada’s state-of-the-art flagship Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft.
The season runs from December 14, 2019, until the end of March 2020.
