From March 27, Air New Zealand and alliance partner Singapore Airlines will resume direct flights from Singapore to Auckland with 14 weekly services on the Boeing 789-9 to meet travel demand between the two destinations.
According to Jonathan Zhang, general manager, Asia, Air New Zealand, initial response and demand since the announcement on the reopening of borders have been positive for services both ways.
In a press statement, Air New Zealand said New Zealanders are eager to return home after two years and reunite with family and loved ones.
The airline continues to emphasise on passenger health and safety, and highlights its World’s Safest Airline award by AirlineRatings.com, the world’s only safety, product, and Covid-19 rating website.
“The safety and well-being of our customers and our people is important to us, and we’re doing what we can to ensure every journey together is a safe and enjoyable one. High touch surfaces are cleaned regularly, and we take extra steps to ensure all our aircraft and lounges are frequently cleaned,” added Zhang.
The reintroduction of Singapore-Auckland services will complement Singapore Airlines’ seven weekly services between Auckland and Singapore.
“Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Air New Zealand have shared a strong partnership over the past seven years and we look forward to working closely to provide even more travel options for customers to explore New Zealand, or for (New Zealanders) to travel to Singapore and beyond on SIA’s global network of 97 destinations,” said JoAnn Tan, senior vice president marketing planning of Singapore Airlines.
With choices of a standard room, executive room, suite or pool villa, the Welcome Back package also includes return airport transfers and US$200 of daily spending credit. Abundant F&B options are available at the hotel, such as Vietnamese restaurant, Citron; Maison 1888 by three Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire; beachside dining at Barefoot; and the Long Bar.
Finnair has updated its summer 2022 flights, as the closure of Russian airspace impacts existing Asian traffic.
While 40 weekly flights to various Japan airports will be suspended and the start of Finnair’s new Busan route will be postponed, the airline will add Mumbai to its operations. The latter will be operated three times a week, with tickets to go on sale from April 5.
Finnair continues to operate daily connections to Bangkok, Delhi, Singapore and Tokyo, three weekly flights to Seoul, two weekly flights to Hongkong, and one weekly service to Shanghai.
Travellers will benefit from Finnair’s services across the US and Europe. In the US, the airline launched a new route to Dallas Fort Worth on March 27, with four weekly flights and full connectivity to American Airline’s extensive network in the country. Another new route, Seattle, opens on June 1 with three weekly frequencies.
According to chief commercial officer Ole Orvér, the airline will increase summer services to over 300 daily flights.
“We continue to serve our key Asian destinations despite the longer routings caused by Russian airspace closure, and also have an excellent offering in Europe and North America.”