Air New Zealand ups capacity to cater for domestic demand

Air New Zealand has added capacity to its domestic network over Waitangi Day weekend (Feb 6-8th) as the airline continues to see strong demand from customers exploring Aotearoa (Māori name for New Zealand) throughout the summer months. Waitangi Day celebrates the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, a town in the Bay of Islands, between the British and Maoris that made New Zealand a part of the British Empire, and guaranteed Māori rights to their land, and gave Māoris the rights of British citizens. The airline said that more than 7,300 seats have been added on the domestic network for Waitangi weekend with additional seats on routes to and from Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton, Kerikeri, Napier, Nelson, Tauranga, Wellington, Whangarei, and Queenstown. READ: Airbus softens aircraft production outlook.  These extra seats are a result of up gauging some flights from ATR to A320 aircraft for some ports, as well as 76 additional one-way flights. The North Island sees the most demand, with 1,110 seats on the airline’s Auckland-Kerikeri and Auckland-Whangarei routes as customers head to Waitangi to mark the weekend. Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty says she’s pleased to offer more options for customers as they head away for the long weekend. “We continue to see strong demand across our domestic network and it’s fantastic to be able to put on additional flying to our regions – particularly to Kerikeri and Whangarei. “We’re committed to keeping New Zealanders connected and steady demand has seen us add capacity wherever possible, making seats available at lower fares for our customers.” The airline said that passengers are encouraged to get in early to take advantage of the lowest fares. Naturally, Northland routes are selling out fast, and demand is higher for travel at certain times of the day, for example, first thing in the morning. By flying at different times of the day, customers will find more fare options available.