08-24-2023
As part of the airline’s annual results for 2023, Air New Zealand has announced that it will add two new ATR72-600 turboprop aircraft and two new Airbus A321neo aircraft to its fleet from late 2024 next year.
Two additional new ATRs with 68 seats each will increase capacity to over 5,700 seats per week and will take customers to regional destinations such as Tauranga and Nelson.
The two new 214-seat Airbus A321neo will be configured for international flights and will cover Tasmanian and Pacific Island routes. They will add more than 9,000 weekly seats to the network, giving the airline greater capacity across Tasmania.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran explained: “The additional flights are a further step towards meeting travel demand and augmenting the airline’s domestic and short-haul networks to destinations where demand is greatest. There is high demand for flying here and around the world, which means prices are higher than usual. The best thing we can do to help customers is to add more planes to our fleet and put more seats in the sky. Like all New Zealand companies, adding more seats is a key part of driving down prices, while our costs are rising significantly in many areas and the reality is that airfares are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels. Our customers have supported us as we rebuild Air New Zealand and we know it’s important to offer a range of fares that are accessible to all New Zealanders. Investing in new aircraft means more seats available at more times and at reasonable prices. Domestically, we are back to pre-Covid capacity, operating an average of 425 daily flights to 20 destinations across Aotearoa. With these new aircraft, our national airline service will be the largest in history. In addition, two previously announced A321neos will be delivered in the next 12 months. We’re pulling every lever we need to be as quick and safe as possible to get more seats in the sky.”
With these four additional aircraft, a total of 16 aircraft have joined the fleet, including eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners, six Airbus A321s and two ATR72-600s, all scheduled for delivery between 2024 and 2028.
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