Hainan Airlines launches nonstop route between Shenzhen, Auckland

Source: Hainan Airlines. The Consulate General of China in Auckland, Acting Consul General Luo Binhui, Auckland Airport CEO Adrian Littlewood, Hainan Airlines President Sun Jianfeng as well as Hainan Airlines' VIP customers participated in the welcoming ceremony in Auckland.

The maiden flight for Hainan Airlines' new nonstop service between China and New Zealand departed from Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in China and landed at Auckland Airport in New Zealand on December 30, 2016, following an 11-hour journey.

The aircraft serving the Shenzhen-Auckland route are all wide-body Airbus A330s with spacious cabins. The airline provides its Business Class passengers with 180-degree, 74"-long, lie-flat seating with an in-seat massage function, a wide HD LCD screen, individual touchscreen LCD TVs and an adjustable reading light complemented by an airborne cuisine menu that includes a variety of both Western and Oriental style meal choices. Travellers choosing the new route will also have access to all-inclusive travel packages, priority seat selection, a private limo service and cabin upgrades.

Auckland is the airline's third destination in Oceania following Sydney and Melbourne, and its first destination in New Zealand.

Hainan Airlines' Shenzhen-Auckland flight schedule

Flight no.	Aircraft	Days	Departure city	Departure time*	Arrival time*	Arrival city
HU7931	330	Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday	Shenzhen	1:55pm	6:30am+1	Auckland
HU7932	330	Wednesday, Friday, Sunday	Auckland	8:30am	3:25pm	Shenzhen

*All departure and arrival times listed are local times.

Tianjin Airlines flies non-stop between Auckland and Chongqing, Tianjin

Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines has launched a non-stop service between Auckland and two major Chinese cities, Chongqing and Tianjin, the first flight from Auckland connecting these cities. The Auckland-Chongqing-Tianjin service operates three times a week using a 260-seat Airbus A330 aircraft. 

"This new service will add 83,000 seats to the China-Auckland route every year and deliver an estimated NZ$102 million boost to the New Zealand tourism industry," said Scott Tasker, Auckland Airport's Acting General Manager - Aeronautical-Commercial.

"This route strengthens Tianjin Airlines' foreign hub, which is playing a significant strategic role in our ongoing growth plans. This year alone we have launched more than 10 new international destinations, including London, Moscow, Osaka and Phuket. Tianjin Airlines' Auckland-Chongqing-Tianjin route will open a new pathway for New Zealand tourism, giving more New Zealanders the opportunity to enjoy the many attractions China has to offer," said Tianjin Airlines' Market Director Li Wenbin.

"This is an air bridge connecting the people of China and New Zealand. The friendship between the two countries will become closer through this route," said Luo Binhui, Consulate-General of The People's Republic of China in Auckland.

The flight will operate with two classes of service with 18 business class seats and 142 seats in economy class. All seats have a personal in-flight entertainment system which is available throughout the flight.

Flights are timed for connections through Tianjin Airlines' international network and with high-speed rail in China, making it easy for customers to transfer from Chongqing and Tianjin to other Chinese cities including Chengdu, Beijing and Shanghai.

The outbound flight is scheduled to depart from Auckland Airport every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 9:30pm, arriving at Chongqing at 5:45 the following morning (12.5 hours' flight time). After a three-hour layover, it will depart at 8:40am and arrive at Tianjin at 11:05am. The return flight departs from Tianjin at 8:10pm and arrives at Chongqing at 11pm After a three- hour layover, it will depart at 1am and arrive at Auckland at 6:30pm. (13.5 hours' flight time).

Interested?

Introductory fares on the route begin at about NZ$600 or RMB3,000 for a return ticket excluding tax. Travellers can buy tickets through local agencies in New Zealand.

AirAsia X to connect Kuala Lumpur, Auckland

Source: AirAsia. AirAsia X launches flights from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland.

AirAsia X, the long-haul, low-fare affiliate of the AirAsia Group, commences its operations into Auckland, New Zealand from Kuala Lumpur via the Gold Coast, Australia on 22 March 2016.

Benyamin Ismail, Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia X says, “New Zealand is a world class destination that has always had a special place in our heart. We are excited to be back in this beautiful country to launch this service, allowing seamless connection for our guests from all over Asia to Auckland city. Similarly, New Zealanders will now have more flight options to Gold Coast as well as access to all the exciting destinations across our extensive flight network in Asia through the Kuala Lumpur hub. We are confident that our highly competitive fares will attract many new guests from the region, creating higher travel demand and in turn boosting tourism traffic for all sectors.

“Australia has always been a key market for us; this new route from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland via Gold Coast signifies our commitment to developing flight connectivity in the region and our continuous effort to expand our operations. We have all the confidence that this new route will thrive, riding on the success we achieved from our other Australian routes.

“At AirAsia X, our aim is to continue building an extensive list of exciting destinations to our guests and the introduction of this new route is in line with our turnaround initiatives that we believe will bring positive contribution to the bottom line.”

His Excellency Dr John Subritzky, New Zealand High Commissioner to Malaysia says, “I am really happy to see another major airline like AirAsia X making its entry into New Zealand, offering all Kiwis competitive fares to visit Asia – and the broader Southeast Asia region - through the airline’s extensive flight network. I look forward to seeing a higher number of tourists visit New Zealand as a result of the new daily flights into Auckland, boosting our tourism sector and strengthening economic growth.”

Following this new route announcement, guests can now travel from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland, New Zealand with a quick stopover in Gold Coast, Australia. An Australia visa is not required for this stopover and Malaysians can travel visa-free to New Zealand for up to 3 months. Guests can also make use of the Fly-Thru option to connect seamlessly to Auckland from other cities within AirAsia group’s extensive flight network; or the Multi-City option to spend a few days on the stopover in Gold Coast before travelling onward to Auckland.

Flight Schedule for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KUL) – Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) via Gold Coast, Australia (OOL):

Route	Flight No.	Departs	Arrives	Flight Frequency
KUL - OOL	D7 206	2140	0750	Daily
OOL - AKL	D7 206	0905	1530	Daily
AKL- OOL	D7 207	1700	1725	Daily
OOL - KUL	D7 207	2140	0400	Daily

Note: All times are the local time at the destination.

Interested?

AirAsia X is offering promotional all-in-fares from RM499* one-way on economy seats and from RM1,499* one way on the Premium Flatbed seats. The Premium Flatbed seats on AirAsia X's flights feature universal power sockets, adjustable headrests and built-in amenities such as tray table, drink holder, reading light and privacy screen. Premium Flatbed guests also enjoy premium complimentary products and services including unlimited flight change, choice of seats, priority check-in, priority boarding, priority baggage, immigration fast track at selected airports, 40kg baggage allowance, complimentary meal and drinks with pillow and duvet.

These promotional fares are available for booking online until 24 January 2016 for travel from 22 March until 5 February 2017. All promotional fares can be booked online as well as via AirAsia’s mobile apps on iPhone and Android services, and also from AirAsia’s mobile site.

*Promotional all-in-fares quoted are for one-way travel only inclusive of taxes. Terms and conditions apply.