Air NZ to return to Hobart and Seoul; extends pause on Chicago route
Friday, 19 April 2024
Air New Zealand has prioritised returning to the “key” destinations of Hobart and Seoul and adding premium seats on other Asian routes over returning to Chicago as it grapples with aircraft shortages caused by engine issues.
The national carrier said it plans to return to the Tasmanian and South Korean capitals in October 2024, after temporarily axing the routes over the New Zealand winter.
Both will be seasonal services between October and March, with the airline operating three direct flights a week.
The airline paused the Hobart route from April 5 as aircraft used on the route underwent maintenance on their Pratt & Whitney engines.
In July, RTX Corp – the parent company of the engine maker – said it needed to recall 1200 of more than 3000 engines built for twin-engined Airbus A320neo aircraft between 2015 and 2021. This was because it had discovered a “rare condition” in powdered metal used to manufacture certain engine parts, which could result in microscopic cracks.
Air New Zealand also plans to boost capacity, mostly in premium cabins, to Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei by replacing the 787 aircraft currently flying to these destinations with a larger 777-300.
Most of the additional 30,000 seats on the Tokyo route will be in the business premier and premium economy cabins, while just over half of the 20,000 extra seats on the Singapore route will be in premium cabins. All 5000 additional seats to Taipei will be a mix of business premier and premium economy seats.
Air New Zealand announced in mid-March that it would pause its non-stop Auckland to Chicago service until October 25, 2024.
That suspension has now been extended until the second half of 2025 due to ongoing challenges with the availability of serviceable Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines, which is impacting airlines around the world.
These are the engines used on Air New Zealand’s Boeing 787 aircraft.
Air New Zealand general manager long haul Scott Carr said the airline expects to return to Chicago when it receives its new 787s - likely in the second half of next year.
He said it was a tough decision, but one which enabled the airline to return to key destinations on its network and add capacity to others.
“Over the next few days, our teams will be in touch directly with customers who have bookings on our Chicago route from October to share their options, so they do not need to contact us proactively,” he said. “Those who booked via a travel agent should contact their agent to confirm changes to their itinerary.
“While we know this news of a further pause will be disappointing for customers with travel plans to Chicago, there are still plenty of options to travel to the city with a stopover in another US port.”
Carr said premium seats were “incredibly popular” with customers travelling to Singapore, Tokyo and Taipei.