Air New Zealand plans to resume international flights in mid-2022

Despite the global vaccination campaign against Covit-19, Air New Zealand did not expect long-haul international flights to gradually resume before mid-2022, and the company expected to record losses in the next financial year. .

Considered one of the best in the world in controlling the epidemic, New Zealand has closed its international borders since March 2020 and opened two travel bubbles with Australia and the Cook Islands last April and May, respectively.

“The domestic market is doing well and bookings have increased on Tasman (the sea between Australia and New Zealand) and Cook, but there is still a great deal of uncertainty,” the Cylinds stock market said in a new statement from the airline.

The reopening of international borders in New Zealand is mainly dependent on the vaccination campaign in this country, which should be completed by the end of next year when vaccination begins at the end of next July, after vaccinating border, health and essential workers, and vulnerable people.

The airline said in a statement that while the demand for domestic aircraft was 90 per cent compared to the pre-epidemic levels, cargo requirements had contributed to mitigating the negative impact of Govt-19 on the company. It is necessary to reduce its costs.

One of the agreed measures is to re-negotiate the delivery date of the first eight Boeing 787 Dreamliners for 2024, instead of 2023. Million New Zealand dollars (315 million US dollars or 264 million euros).

New Zealand has accumulated a total of 2,358 Govt-19 infections since the outbreak, with 356 cases classified as possible, 26 deaths, and 23 active infections, all of which are in isolated centers for travelers.