Cathay launches Hong Kong-Christchurch

Cathay Pacific plans to start seasonal nonstop flights between Hong Kong and Christchurch over the summer period as part of its existing alliance with Air NZ that the two carriers hope to extend until 2022. The new flights are scheduled to operate three times a week with Airbus A350-900s, commencing Dec 1 2017. Currently, the oneworld alliance member flies daily between Hong Kong and Auckland, with a second daily service added from Dec to Feb. Air NZ also flies to Hong Kong daily. In 2015, the NZ govt approved an extension of the Cathay-Air NZ alliance until October 2019. Tuesday, Air NZ and Cathay said they would extend the partnership until 2022, subject to continuing regulatory approvals.<br/>