The Tourism Minister welcomed the new association, assuring that it would strengthen tourism links between the two countries.
The largest Canadian airline, Air Canada, has made it to the headlines for announcing direct flight services between Auckland and Vancouver. Reportedly, Air Canada and its Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand have entered into a joint venture under a definitive MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), which will involve cooperation from both the airlines, subject to regulatory consent.
The latest move is a part of Air Canada’s intention to cash in on New Zealand’s love for travel. The North American airline is likely to operate a seasonal route, with four weekly flights between the two cities. The flights will be scheduled between 12th of December 2019 until March 2020. For the record, Air Canada and Air New Zealand have operated as Star Alliance partners for over 20 years.
Lucie Guillemette, Chief Commercial Officer & Executive Vice President, Air Canada, was reportedly quoted stating that the Auckland service launch in December is going to make New Zealanders highly interested in travelling to Canada for winter vacations. Similarly, North Americans are bound to be rather thrilled to enjoy the natural and multicultural urban attractions of New Zealand during their summers, Guillemette affirmed.
Sources close to the matter revealed that the timing of the latest move has been perfectly orchestrated to be favorable for New Zealand travelers as Air New Zealand, earlier this week, announced a huge shake-up of domestic pricing. The airline proclaimed to make around 750,000 seats available a year, for less than $50. Sources added that the Vancouver flight’s introduction will certainly offer the Kiwis much better access to Canada in the months of winter.
New Zealand’s Tourism Minister, Kelvin Davis said that a larger number of Canadians are currently looking to visit New Zealand, with the intent to experience the country’s scenery, culture and the renowned Kiwi hospitality. According to him, approximately 71,000 Canadians had visited the country last year, staying there for an average of 19 days and contributing approximately $250 million to the country’s economy.