TRENZ trade fair, Rotorua
Air New Zealand has almost doubled its market share since launching its second daily service from Heathrow to Auckland.
ANZ international airline group manager Ed Sims said that the airline’s share had increased from 25% to around 40%, despite a slight decline in the UK market to New Zealand.
He said: ‘It’s not a perfect position for us, because we’d like to grow the market. But I suspect that it will begin to strengthen this year.’
The carrier is to run the service year round, with the new route via Hong Kong attracting business traffic that will help fill capacity outside of New Zealand’s short tourist season.
Experience Holidays product manager Robert Spooner said that the Hong Kong route was also helping to sell Air New Zealand to the upper end of the tourist market, who were put off by the prospect of heavy security at Los Angeles.
He said: ‘I’m delighted to be able to use them through Hong Kong. I think it will be of great benefit to New Zealand – we were struggling to sell business class travel through LA, especially to older travelers.’