Air New Zealand, New Zealand’s flag carrier, has expanded its collaboration with Discover the World to expand its GSA services to new markets. Air New Zealand continued its partnership with Discover the World in Latin America and select markets in Southeast Asia.
With this extension of the contract, Air New Zealand will cover an area of strategic importance for the company, with a particular focus on the DACH, UK, German and Spanish markets. Christine Sutton (formerly a member of STA Travel and Emirates) was appointed Senior Sales Director for UK and Europe in July.
Aidan Walsh, Head of Airline Development and Partnerships at Discover the World, comments: “We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with Air New Zealand in the European region. With Aotearoa (New Zealand in Maori) borders now fully open, we look forward to working with our trade partners to improve trade and passenger sales to Oceania.” Christine Sutton, senior director of sales at Discover the World, adds: “It has. This is an exciting start as the travel industry is very excited to have local connections back in the market and we look forward to working with our partners to renew Air New Zealand’s great product and operations.”
Aaron Gilden, Air New Zealand’s Sales Director SSEA, UK & EU commented, “Air New Zealand is delighted to be expanding its partnership with Discover the World. It was imperative for us to select a partner who could represent our brand values and provide premium service to our industry partners. Through our strategic alliance with Singapore Airlines and our “More Ways to Get to New Zealand” proposition, we continue to offer unrivaled options for getting home to Aotearoa via Air New Zealand’s global network.
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand’s history dates back to 1940, when it first flew a seaplane between Auckland and Sydney: a short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, the airline operates a fleet of 98 aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers the comfort of the latest jets and highly efficient turboprops. It is a modern, fuel efficient fleet with an average age of 6.7 years. Air New Zealand’s global network of cargo and passenger services is concentrated in New Zealand. Before Covid, the airline carried more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the world’s safest airline by AirlineRatings.com, an Australian rating service that focuses on in-flight safety.
This year, Air New Zealand was recognized as the company with the best corporate reputation in New Zealand for the eighth consecutive year. Air New Zealand has a strong network of domestic destinations connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions of New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities in Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the United States and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers greater choice and convenience to connect to hundreds of destinations around the world. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its sustainability framework helps guide the airline’s efforts to address some of New Zealand’s and the world’s most pressing challenges. Air New Zealand’s loyalty program Airpoints is considered New Zealand’s most valuable loyalty program with 3.5 million members. Allows members to earn AirpointsDollars™ and Status Points to enjoy VIP benefits in flight and on the ground. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by the distinctive whale livery of Mangobare, which represents the Maori symbol of strength, determination and resilience of the hammerhead shark.
About Discover the World
Discover the World has built a reputation as a leader in global travel distribution through its success in building an international network of over 85 offices in over 60 countries. With a portfolio of over 100 clients using corporate sales and marketing outsourcing processes, Discover the World continues to be a key innovator in the tourism industry.
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