Air New Zealand seasonal service to Seoul will not return for October 2025
The airline's final seasonal flight from Incheon (ICN) to Auckland (AKL) will take place on 29 March 2025, marking the conclusion of this route's seasonal service.
Air New Zealand Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy O'Brien acknowledged the disappointment this may cause.
"We understand this will be disappointing for some customers, and we sincerely apologise for the impact. Due to the ongoing challenges with engine availability, we have reviewed our network to ensure we are set up to operate our schedule effectively and best deliver for our customers' needs."
The small number of customers affected by this change will be proactively contacted by Air New Zealand with rebooking options on alternative services, which include stop-overs and connections with the airline's partner carriers. Customers may also choose to place their fare into credit or receive a full refund.
While non-stop flights to Seoul will no longer be available after 29 March 2025, Air New Zealand customers can still travel to South Korea with a stopover in one of the airline's other Asian destinations, such as Singapore, Taipei, or Hong Kong, before connecting to Seoul with partner airlines.
"We remain committed to providing seamless travel experiences for our customers and will work closely with our partners to ensure connectivity to Seoul remains accessible. We would like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while we work through this change as well as our wider fleet constraint challenges.
"We are always reviewing demand and assessing our flying schedule. As aircraft and engines become available, we will review our network and make decisions based on customer demand."
ENDS
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 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 8.7 years. Air New Zealand's global network of passenger and cargo services centres around New Zealand. In 2023, the airline flew more than 16 million passengers. Air New Zealand was named 2024 World's Safest Airline by the Australian rating service AirlineRatings.com, highlighting the airline's laser-focus on safety and won Best Corporate Reputation in New Zealand in 2023 – the 9th 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. Airpoints, Air New Zealand's loyalty programme, is seen as the most valuable loyalty programme in New Zealand with more than 4 million members. It allows members to earn Airpoints Dollars™ and Status Points for VIP benefits in the air and on the ground. 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
The Star Alliance network was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance, based on a customer value proposition of global reach, worldwide recognition and seamless service. Since inception, it has offered the largest and most comprehensive airline network, with a focus on improving customer experience across the Alliance journey.
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 Air Portugal, THAI, Turkish Airlines, and United.
Overall, the Star Alliance network currently offers more than 16,000 daily flights to almost 1,200 airports in 186 countries. Further connecting flights are offered by Star Alliance Connecting Partners Juneyao Airlines and THAI Smile Airways.
For more information about Air New Zealand visit www.airnewzealand.com and for more information about Star Alliance visit www.staralliance.com