Air New Zealand began flying to a second destination in San Francisco, California two decades ago. On 30 June 2004, it began non-stop flights between Auckland and the city, and has since carried more than three million passengers on 11,800 flights. In 2005 the airline doubled its services to six weekly flights.
“San Francisco is an important city for Air New Zealand and is very popular with our customers as a must-see and stopover. In just 12 hours, New Zealanders can swap views of the Auckland Harbor Bridge for views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and visit other local attractions such as Alcatraz Island, Fisherman’s Wharf or the Hillard family home from Mrs Doubtfire.” said Jeremy O’Brien, Air New Zealand’s International General Manager.
“San Francisco plays a key role in our cargo operations, with over 3,500 tonnes transported between Auckland and San Francisco annually, including high quality New Zealand lamb and fresh seafood. It supports key high-value trade links between New Zealand and the United StatesO’Brien added.
At the time of the route’s launch, San Francisco was Air New Zealand’s 21st international destination. The service is currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, the 747-400 was initially used when the route was launched with 392 seats and until the last business served the special livery of The Lord of the Rings which flew this segment. The 747 fleet entered service on September 12, 2014.
In addition to its service to San Francisco, Air New Zealand has scheduled services to Honolulu, Los Angeles, Houston-Intercontinental and New York-JFK, with connections to more than 100 US domestic destinations through its alliance with United Airlines.
See also: Air New Zealand increases seat capacity for southern summer 2024/2025
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