Written by ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
Air New Zealand will be returning to Hobart and Seoul in October after both were paused over winter.
But the airline says the pause in its Chicago service will be extended a full year, to late 2025.
The Auckland to Hobart and Seoul routes will be seasonal services with three direct flights a week to each destination from October-March.
The airline will also expand capacity on key Asian routes; Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei will all see more seats on sale between November 2024 and March 2025 due to the introduction of the larger Boeing 777-300 n these routes.
The 777-300 also has a 30% higher cargo capability than the B787 that is being replaced.
The airline confirmed ongoing engine issues, which saw it pause the Hobart service, meant it had to extend the pause on its Chicago service which was due to resume from October.
Air NZ General Manager Long Haul Scott Carr described the decision as a tough one but which meant they could return to key destinations and assure passengers’ travel plans on other routes.
“Unfortunately, ongoing challenges with the availability of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines on our 787-9 aircraft means we haven’t been able to return to our Chicago route in October as expected,” he said.
“We anticipate returning to Chicago when we receive our new 787 aircraft from Boeing, currently expected in the second half of 2025.
“While we know this news of a further pause will be disappointing for customers with travel plans to Chicago, there are still plenty of options to travel to the city with a stopover in another US port,” Mr Carr said.
“Our premium cabins are incredibly popular with customers travelling to and from destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei, so we’re excited to introduce increased capacity from November to give those customers more seats to book travel.”
Tasman Aircraft 