30 October 2023
New airlines and routes are bringing a boom in North American air connections at Auckland Airport, with 26% more capacity available for travellers this summer than pre-pandemic.
Auckland Airport Chief Customer Officer, Scott Tasker, said the choice of airlines and routes connecting through to a popular destination for Kiwi travellers, but also a major in-bound tourism market, was exciting.
“If we look through to January, we’ve got 27 more flights per week to North American destinations than we had back in January 2020. That really signals the level of demand out there to visit and enjoy what’s on offer in New Zealand,” he said.
“That’s come through a combination of exciting new routes like Qantas and Air New Zealand both launching non-stop connections to New York and American Airlines flying from Dallas-Fort Worth, plus new faces on existing routes.
“This summer we’ll have seven airlines flying non-stop to eight North American cities.”
Today the touch down at Auckland Airport of new arrival Delta Air Lines from Los Angeles and United Airlines beginning a new seasonal service, also on the Los Angeles route, adds more choice alongside incumbent Air New Zealand. Next month American Airlines will also begin operating a seasonal service on the Los Angeles route.
“It’s great to see some existing airline partners, like United, boost options for travellers, but having Delta touch down here for the very first time is just fantastic.
“Not only is this greater competition and choice for travellers, but many of these connections are also providing really important air cargo capacity for New Zealand’s high value exports,” Mr Tasker said.
“Fresh products like cherries, flowers and seafood rely on fast, efficient air connectivity to get out to the world. The impact of these non-stop connections from Auckland Airport to key Northern Hemisphere markets flows right out into regional New Zealand.”
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|
Summer (Nov-Mar) 2023/24 |
Summer 2019/20 |
|
Air New Zealand |
||
|
Chicago |
3/week (growing to 5/week over Christmas & New Year) |
Same frequency |
|
Honolulu |
3/week (4/week from mid-December to mid-January) |
3-5/week |
|
Houston |
7/week |
5-7/week
|
|
New York |
3/week (4/week from mid-December to mid-January) |
n/a |
|
Los Angeles |
7-12/week |
6-8/week |
|
San Francisco |
7/week |
5-7/week |
|
Vancouver |
3-5/week in November, Daily rest of summer |
4-7/week |
|
Air Canada |
||
|
Vancouver |
3/week in November 4/week rest of summer Seasonal only |
4/week Seasonal only |
|
American Airlines |
||
|
Dallas-Fort Worth |
daily Seasonal only |
n/a |
|
Los Angeles |
Daily 22 December to 3 March 2024 Seasonal only |
daily |
|
Delta Air Lines |
||
|
Los Angeles |
Daily November to March. 3/week April to October |
n/a |
|
Hawaiian Airlines |
||
|
Honolulu |
3/week Suspending service for NZ winter |
3-4/week |
|
Qantas |
||
|
New York |
4/week |
n/a |
|
United Airlines |
||
|
Los Angeles |
3/week in November 4/week rest of summer Seasonal only |
n/a |
|
San Francisco |
7/week |
7/week |
ENDS
- United Airlines inaugural from LAX: UA642 arrival time: 06.25am; UA643 departure time: 15.40pm
- Delta Air Lines inaugural from LAX / first time in NZ: DL65 arrival time: 07.55; DL64 departure time 14:00pm
Images available after touch down at Auckland Airport.
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