New airlines and routes are bringing a boom in North American air connections at Auckland Airport, with 26 per cent more capacity available for travellers this summer than pre-pandemic.
Auckland Airport chief customer officer Scott Tasker says the choice of airlines and routes connecting through to a popular destination for Kiwi travellers, but also a major in-bound tourism market, was exciting.
“If we look through to January, we’ve got 27 more flights per week to North American destinations than we had back in January 2020. That really signals the level of demand out there to visit and enjoy what’s on offer in New Zealand,” he says.
“That’s come through a combination of exciting new routes like Qantas and Air New Zealand both launching non-stop connections to New York and American Airlines flying from Dallas-Fort Worth, plus new faces on existing routes.
“This summer we’ll have seven airlines flying non-stop to eight North American cities.”
Today the touch down at Auckland Airport of new arrival Delta Air Lines from Los Angeles and United Airlines beginning a new seasonal service, also on the Los Angeles route, adds more choice alongside incumbent Air New Zealand. Next month American Airlines will also begin operating a seasonal service on the Los Angeles route.
“It’s great to see some existing airline partners, like United, boost options for travellers, but having Delta touch down here for the very first time is just fantastic.
“Not only is this greater competition and choice for travellers, but many of these connections are also providing really important air cargo capacity for New Zealand’s high value exports,” Scott says.
“Fresh products like cherries, flowers and seafood rely on fast, efficient air connectivity to get out to the world. The impact of these non-stop connections from Auckland Airport to key Northern Hemisphere markets flows right out into regional New Zealand.”
