More than 110,000 Air New Zealand seats were snapped up yesterday compared to the usual 31,000 per day pre-COVID-19 – one for the record books. The airline marked the Government’s removal of physical distancing by releasing 180,000 of its cheapest fares, with 160,000 of these available for under $50 which drove the record sales afternoon. Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says this clearly shows Kiwis are keen to get out and travel around New Zealand. READ: Airbus surging ahead of Boeing says Qatar Airways  “As soon as the Government announced the removal of physical distancing travel demand was strong, with 70,000 seats sold in the first six hours. “Kiwis have been incredibly supportive of our airline through what has been a difficult year and we look forward to welcoming more customers on board for their domestic trip soon,” Mr. Foran said. However, Air New Zealand lounges will continue to operate under Alert Level 2 restrictions meaning each lounge has a cap of 100 people at any given time. Air New Zealand is currently flying approximately 200,000 seats per week, which is around 70-75 percent of pre-COVID-19 capacity.