Hello sunshine! Air New Zealand's seasonal service to the Sunshine Coast returns
The airline will recommence its flights to the Aussie winter warmth three times a week on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday until October 2024.
The direct service between Auckland and Maroochydore is just four hours and means Kiwis can arrive at the sunny Sunshine Coast and be on the beach by lunchtime.
Air New Zealand General Manager International Jeremy O'Brien says the airline is excited to see the seasonal service return.
"Kiwis are clearly ready to escape the cold New Zealand temperatures as we're already seeing strong demand for bookings to the Sunshine Coast.
"The Sunshine Coast is the perfect holiday destination – with a relaxed beachside culture, incredible food, beautiful scenery, and 300 days of sunshine each year – it's easy to see why Kiwis love it so much.
"Customers travelling to the Sunshine Coast this winter have the added bonus of our new Seats to Suit offering, now available on our international short haul flights. This means they'll have access to free movies and entertainment, snacks, and affordable flexibility."
Over winter, Air New Zealand flies to seven other destinations in Australia, including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Cairns, and the Gold Coast.
"Australia is an incredibly important market for Air New Zealand. This seasonal service will also provide more opportunities for our Aussie customers to head across the ditch and enjoy New Zealand's snowy mountains and winter escapes. We look forward to carrying more customers between New Zealand and the Sunshine Coast this season."
Air New Zealand's services between Auckland and the Sunshine Coast operate from 26 June to 25 October 2024 on an Airbus 320neo aircraft.
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Issued by Air New Zealand Communications.
Email: media@airnz.co.nz │ Phone: +64 21 747 320
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand's story started in 1940, first taking to the skies between Auckland and Sydney on a flying boat - a Short S30. Known for its warm Kiwi hospitality, today, the airline has 104 operating aircraft ranging from Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners and Airbus A320s to ATRs and Q300s, offering customers comfort in the latest most efficient jets and turboprops. It's a modern fuel-efficient fleet with an average age of 7.3 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. Pre-Covid, the airline flew more than 17 million passengers every year, with 3,400 flights per week. Air New Zealand was recently named the World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety. Last year, Air New Zealand won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand – 8th year in a row.
Air New Zealand has a well-connected domestic business, connecting customers and cargo to 20 different regions around New Zealand. Internationally, the airline has direct flights to major cities across Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the US, and through its strong relationships with alliance partners, offers customers more choice and convenience to connect further afield to hundreds of destinations. Air New Zealand has a particular focus on sustainability and its Sustainability Framework helps guide the airline's efforts in tackling some of New Zealand's and the world's most complex challenges. Air New Zealand aircraft are proudly identified by its distinct tail livery of the Mangōpare, the Māori symbol of the hammerhead shark which represents strength, tenacity, and resilience.
About Star Alliance
Air New Zealand is proud to be a member of Star Alliance. The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer worldwide reach, recognition and seamless service to the international traveller. Its acceptance by the market has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Air Transport World Market Leadership Award and Best Airline Alliance by both Business Traveller Magazine and Skytrax. The member airlines are: Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air India, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Copa Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI and United. Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 18,500 daily flights to 1,321 airports in 193 countries.