Tourism businesses are set to get an Autumn boost as Auckland Airport ramps up its services to China.
The number of return flights among the three airlines that connect Auckland to mainland China – China Southern, China Eastern and Air New Zealand – will increase from 11 a week to 19 at the end of March, with another three services added in early May.
Auckland Airport’s chief customer officer Scott Tasker hoped it would boost activity in the tourism sector.
Tasker said New Zealand was seen as a high-quality destination offering a range of unique experiences.
The first official Chinese tour group to arrive in Aotearoa since early 2020 will arrive at Auckland Airport on Friday afternoon.
New Zealand was among the 20 outbound travel destinations to restart group tours under the China Approved Destination Status (ADS) scheme, he said.
Tasker said the improved connectivity with China would also be welcome news to New Zealanders with Chinese friends and whānau.
The extra flights were expected to ease freight capacity on a key trading route, as the bellyhold of passenger aircraft traditionally provided 80 percent of the airport’s air freight capacity.
China was Auckland Airport’s second largest airfreight market with volumes growing 13 percent year-on-year and up 5.5 percent on 2019, despite Covid restrictions, Tasker said.
