Air New Zealand has announced a new launch date for its long-awaited flight from Auckland to New York.
The first non-stop service between New Zealand and New York will depart on September 17 and land at John F. Kennedy Airport.
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It will be the first ever non-stop service between New Zealand and New York.
The flights, numbered NZ1 and NZ2, will be among the longest in the world, taking just over 16 hours to New York and 17 and a half hours to travel.
Air New Zealand will operate the route three times a week throughout the year, with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
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Air New Zealand will operate the route with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Non-stop flights are now available to book on the Air New Zealand website, starting at $ 986 one-way from Auckland to New York and from $ 993 for return.
The details of the service were first revealed in late 2019, with the maiden voyage scheduled to begin on October 29, 2020.
In early 2020, the airline sold tickets for as little as $ 847 one-way from Auckland to New York.
However, the launch was indefinitely delayed due to the pandemic, with many of the Air New Zealand international fleets established in the California desert.
Air New Zealand chief executive officer Greg Foran said with the New Zealand border reopening on May 2 to tourists from visa-waiver countries, this was the moment they had been waiting for.
“New York is an iconic but familiar city, a bucket list item. And now for the first time, Kiwis can visit the city of any city with a non-stop flight,” he said.
“New Zealand is making you slow down – in New York everything is bigger and faster, it’s exciting and impressive – and it’s closer now than ever.”
Foran acknowledged that Omicron was difficult for the airline for staff and customers, but have now begun to see the other side of it.
“We’re back and I’m excited,” he told media at the Air New Zealand headquarters in Auckland on Wednesday.
“At this point, I think we’re in a good position, and we’ll be putting in place the right protocols, as we’ve been through this all along, and I’m just so excited that what we’re seeing now, borders are starting to open up again, d ‘People start to travel and have a real desire to get out and travel.
Foran believed that the level of interest in the New York route would be even higher than when it was originally announced in 2019.
“I can tell you that it’s a real desire of the majority of people, not everyone, but the majority of people to travel out and go further and further. And I think New York, and America in general. it’s going to be a very good destination for people and so I have no real worries about where this is going in. I think this is a fantastic time.
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the new direct air connection was a perfect time to capitalize on the rising demand from North American travelers as the borders reopened.
Pre-Covid, the United States made New Zealand the third largest source of visitors, with approximately 370,000 Americans visiting in 2019 and contributing more than $ 1.53 billion to the economy. The direct route to Auckland has removed barriers such as time-consuming stopovers for East Coast travelers, Nash said.
“In a world that is still struggling with Covid-19, travelers will discern where they are going,” he said.
“Our high vaccination rates, in addition to our reputation as a great place to visit, will be a asset to the North American market.”
The service will depart from Auckland at 7.40pm, arriving in New York at 7.55pm. The journey leaves at 21.55, arriving in New Zealand at 7.30 two days later due to the 17-hour time difference.
It will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Air New Zealand’s partnership with United Airlines means that it will have connections to destinations throughout the United States, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.
Customers can also fly directly from New York to European destinations such as Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
New York will be Air New Zealand’s seventh US destination, adding to a list of 24 international routes that Air New Zealand plans to restart as the borders reopen to tourists.
The Auckland to Singapore route is the first major restart on long routes, with flights resuming on March 27.
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