Air New Zealand is restarting more domestic flights as the country enters COVID-19 alert level 3 next week.
The new national schedule is only slightly different to the one the airline operated under alert level 4, with the biggest change being the introduction of flights from Auckland to Tauranga and Napier .
Schedule changes:
Auckland-Christchurch
Level 4:
- 3 return services Monday-Friday using an A320 aircraft
- 1 return service Saturday/Sunday using an A320 aircraft
Level 3:
- 2 return services Monday-Saturday
- 1 return service Sunday using an A320 aircraft
Auckland-Wellington
Level 4:
- 1 return service Monday-Sunday using an A320 aircraft
Level 3:
- 1 return service Monday-Sunday using an A320 aircraft
Auckland-Tauranga
Level 3:
- 3 return services Tuesday/Thursday/Friday using a Q300 aircraft
Auckland-Napier
Level 3:
- 3 return services Tuesday/Thursday/Friday using a Q300 aircraft
Wellington-Christchurch
Level 4:
- 2 return services Monday-Friday using a Q300 aircraft
- 1 return service Saturday/Sunday using a Q300 aircraft
Level 3:
- 2 return services Monday-Friday using an ATR aircraft
- 1 return service Saturday/Sunday using a Q300 aircraft
Wellington-Nelson
Level 4:
- 1 return service Monday-Friday
Level 3:
- 1 return service Monday-Wed
- 2 return services Thurs/Friday using a Q300 aircraft
Christchurch-Dunedin
Level 4:
- 1 return service Monday
- 1 return service Friday
- 1 return service Monday-Sunday
Level 3:
- 1 return service Monday-Sunday using an ATR aircraft
The new schedule will begin on April 28, the morning New Zealand moves to alert level 3.
"We have made some slight adjustments to our domestic schedule in the coming weeks and that includes adding several services a week between Auckland and Napier and Auckland and Tauranga. We'll also be adding additional capacity between Christchurch and Dunedin with flights in and out of Dunedin across the week," Air NZ General Manager of Networks Scott Carr says.
Flights are still restricted to essential travellers only.
