Air NZ fulfils threat to slashes flights to Australia
Air New Zealand’s threat as a result of the draft refusal by the ACCC to allow Qantas and Air New Zealand to code share on the Tasman, was carried through yesterday with the carrier announcing yesterday that it will slash capacity across the Tasman from April 2007.
Air NZ Group GM shorthaul, Norm Thompson said there was insufficient demand to justify keeping capacity at the same level as the previous northern summer schedule, with the cut reducing the number of seats available between Auckland and Australia by 11%, Wellington by 15%, Dunedin by 28%, Palmerston North by 15% and Christchurch by 7%.
Mr Thompson said Air New Zealand’s load factors out of Wellington over the low demand season averaged only around 63% and this was not commercially sustainable, with the new schedule seeing Air New Zealand services from Wellington to Sydney drop from 12 to 10 a week, to Melbourne from 7 to 5 five a week and to Brisbane from 7 to 6 a week.
Freedom services from Dunedin to Sydney will also reduce from 3 to 2 a week and the single service per week to the Gold Coast is being withdrawn.
Air New Zealand flights from Christchurch to Sydney will be reduced from 14 to 13 a week and Freedom services to the Gold Coast reduced from 4 to 3 a week.
Flight frequency from Auckland will remain at the current levels, but the carrier has said that they will cut seat capacity by 11% through the use of smaller aircraft.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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