Air New Zealand And Air India Sign Codeshare Partnership; To Launch Direct Flights By 2028

To boost connectivity and improve travel experience, Air New Zealand and Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai recently. The MoU includes the establishment of a new codeshare partnership between the two airlines and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was also present at the event. Scroll on to know more about this new codeshare partnership and how it will boost travel between India and New Zealand.

Air New Zealand And Air India Enter New Codeshare Partnership

Air New Zealand and Air India entered a new codeshare partnership on 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. This new partnership will confer travellers more choice and convenient access between the two countries. As per the press release, travellers will now be able to fly from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai on Air India, and connect at Sydney, Melbourne or Singapore onto Air New Zealand-operated flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown. Besides traveller’s ease of booking and travel, the codeshare aims to increase the visibility of the respective markets as tourism destinations.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran talked about the significance of India as a rapidly expanding tourism market and its increasing travel demand. He said, “We are excited about the opportunity to enhance connectivity for travellers between our two countries. This codeshare agreement is an important first step, offering more options for customers while we work to understand what a direct service could look like.”

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Plans To Launch Direct Flights Between India & New Zealand

Currently, there is no direct flight between New Zealand and India. Flyers have to transit via airports in Southeast Asia and Australia. This means one has to travel for 17 hours or more to reach India from New Zealand and vice versa. With this new codeshare partnership between Air New Zealand and Air India, direct air connectivity is likely to be launched between the two countries by 2028. As per reports, the MoU will explore the introduction of a direct service between India and New Zealand in the next three years, subject to new aircraft deliveries and approvals from relevant government regulators.

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So, are you excited to see how this new codeshare partnership will improve air travel for travel lovers? Let us know in the comments.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons