Air New Zealand cancels international flights after border delay

Air New Zealand will cancel around 120 services through to the end of February after the New Zealand government’s announcement of a delay to the start of non-MIQ (Managed Isolation & Quarantine) travel. The airline's Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says this will be incredibly tough news for many. “Our heart goes out to those who were counting down the days until they could reconnect with their family and friends. “While this news is disappointing for the airline, we know these changes are put in place to keep Aotearoa [New Zealand] safe. We’ll now need to navigate our way through what these changes mean for our customers, as we have done over the past 23 months.” The airline estimates around 120 flights will need to be canceled, with around 27,000 customers expected to be impacted. Most of the canceled services are across the Tasman with only a small reduction in frequency on some long-haul flights. “We are here for our customers, and as we have throughout the pandemic, we will continue to fly to get them home to Aotearoa as MIQ allocations allow.” “Even though it may not be as soon as we had hoped, when the day comes our team will be standing tall, with a big smile, ready to welcome customers on board once again." READ: After Qantas Airbus order Boeing must rethink the 737 MAX. READ: Qatar Airways Qsuite the ultimate in privacy  All existing quarantine-free flights from Australia to New Zealand between 17 January and 28 February 2022 will be canceled and there will be a limited schedule of quarantine flights will be available to book. Customers are asked to continue to check the airline’s Travel Alerts page for further updates. Customers who still wish to travel to New Zealand will need to secure a MIQ allocation before booking on a quarantined flight. The airline will continue to operate on a reduced schedule from New Zealand to Australia but will be consolidating its schedule and only operating services out of Auckland. Customers with bookings who no longer wish to travel are asked to use the airline’s online self-service tool to hold their fare in credit. The airline said its international flexibility policy is in place for flights scheduled to depart before 30 June 2022 meaning customers can change their flights with change fees waived. If customers have booked through a travel agent or third-party online agent, they will need to contact them directly to rebook or place their ticket into credit.