More Tasman Services from Auckland

[Kurt A]

More Tasman Services from Auckland

Air New Zealand will increase capacity to Melbourne and Sydney later in the year adding more direct services and using larger aircraft.

From 26 October, additional capacity will be added on the Auckland-Melbourne route by using a Boeing 767-300 aircraft instead of an Airbus A320 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday afternoons.

From 16 December onwards a third daily service will operate from Auckland on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday (Sunday flight overnights and returns Monday morning). Total capacity between Auckland and Melbourne will increase by 6% as a result.

Services from Auckland-Sydney will increase from 15 December onwards with an additional A320 return service operating on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Air New Zealand’s Group General Manager Short Haul Airline Bruce Parton said that this increase reflects the strong ongoing growth of Tasman services.

“We are also expecting a further increase in customer demand for seats from July onwards as we start introducing in-flight entertainment at every seat and newly reconfigured cabins on our 767 and A320 aircraft which operate on these routes.”

- airnz

[David Ramsay]

About time, too.

Sydney is not so bad but it can be very hard to get seats to/from Melbourne at times, particularly on the afternoon/evening flights.

[Shameel Kumar]

“We are also expecting a further increase in customer demand for seats from July onwards as we start introducing in-flight entertainment at every seat and newly reconfigured cabins on our 767 and A320 aircraft which operate on these routes.”

Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't this IFE/PTV upgrade of NZ's 767s and A320s due to commence at the end of 2009, not mid-'08 ?

I'm certainly not complaining since I prefer to fly NZ across the Tasman! Great news that more 767s are coming this way as well! .. just wish we at SYD got more visits of their 744s.

[David Ramsay]

The IFE/PTV upgrades are starting in June 08. The 767's are being done first.