Air NZ to start flights to Houston in December
Air New Zealand’s new direct flight from Auckland to Houston will be the longest in the carrier’s network.
The near-12,000 km flight will take almost 14 hours to reach Houston from Auckland and an extra 40 minutes in the other direction.
Air New Zealand chief executive Christopher Luxon said the service will operate up to five times a week depending on the season, with an aim to expand to daily departures.
He said there will likely be introductory sales fares to kick off the service when it begins in December.
"We’ll be very keen to get the destination well established and off to a good start. We want people to experience it and sample it – that will be very important," Luxon said.
It is a coup for Houston’s Bush International Airport, which welcomes Air NZ as its 11th new international carrier in the past two years and can now boast nonstop connections to every populated continent.
Chris Myers, Air New Zealand’s vice president of the Americas, said there had been a 25% jump in the number of Texans visiting New Zealand last year.
"It seems it’s never been a better time to fly in Houston," Myers said.
The news was also warmly welcomed by Houston mayor Annise Parker.
"The city of Houston continues to enhance its status as a global gateway city, with nonstop flight service to almost 200 airports in the U.S. and around the globe."
Air NZ will operate Boeing 777-200 aircraft with lie-flat seats in First Class and reservations for the route will open next month.
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