Here you are 37 years old that the company Air New Zealand flies direct to London from AucklandThe airline was the only one to offer such a service from Europe. Launched with a Boeing 747-400 on 25 August 1982, the route linked Auckland to London-Gatwick via Papeete and Los Angeles. In 1994, Air New Zealand transferred its route to London-Heathrow and between 2006 and 2013, Air New Zealand also operated the route via Hong Kong. The flight is currently operated daily by Boeing 777-300ER. The only Europe-New Zealand route will therefore be discontinued when the IATA winter timetable comes into force in October 2020 as part of an overhaul of the New Zealand airline's international long-haul services. It was a difficult decision for the carrier, as London-Auckland was a true symbol of the airline's presence on the European continent.
Air New Zealand justifies this decision by ". market dynamics "This situation has been exacerbated by head-on competition from the Gulf carriers. " Less than 7% of all air travellers between Auckland and London chose to fly via Los Angeles last year" said Jeff McDowall, the carrier's interim Managing Director. " Air New Zealand is more competitive when it operates direct flights to and from ourAuckland. This closure will put us in the best possible position to meet the growing demand in Asia Pacific. The North Atlantic routes are among the most competitive in the world and Air New Zealand does not have the operational advantages or the strength of the North American and European airlines we are competing against." . On the London-Los Angeles route alone, Air New Zealand is in direct competition with American Airlines, British Airways, United and Virgin Atlantic, as well as with Norwegian from London-Gatwick.
The consequence is obvious. According to data from Sabre Market Intelligence, Air New Zealand's market share in direct passengers on Auckland-London in 2018 reached a figure of 13.6% - effectively 7% on a single leg, equivalent to 34,462 return passengers. This figure is slightly lower than that of Emirates, which accounts for 14.7 % of the Auckland-London market. Emirates flies daily from Auckland to Dubai on an Airbus A380, with an additional flight from Auckland to Denpasar and Dubai on a Boeing 777-300ER, with connections to London. Sabre data also shows that only around 7 % of Air New Zealand passengers between Auckland - Los Angeles - London travel in business class. This compares with Emirates, which has 12 % business class passengers. Added to this competition is the Auckland-London route with a stopover in Doha operated by Air New Zealand. Qatar Airways.
By discontinuing this route, the carrier will make significant savings by closing its Heathrow stopover and selling these slots, a rare commodity at this London airport. The carrier will be trading in its London route for a non-stop flight to Auckland-New York. The launch is scheduled for October 2020 with a Boeing 787-9 that will connect the two cities three times a week, offering a capacity of 275 seats. The aircraft will have a special configuration, favouring the premium traffic with more Economy Premium and Business seats.
The company has selected Newarkthe hub of its Star Alliance partner, United Airlines, from where connections will be made not only to London but also to the other routes operated by United to Europe, including Paris. Compared with a current flight via Los Angeles, the Europe-Auckland route via New York will even save two to three hours...
