Why Air NZ is flying from Auckland to Taipei in Taiwan

Air NZ says new non-stop flights between Auckland and Taipei will help boost tourism from Taiwan and provide more incentive for Kiwis to fly there. The airline will fly up to five times a week from November using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. Direct flight time is about 11 hours and standard return economy fares on Air NZ's website today for that month are around $1530, although airlines will usually launch new routes with promotional deals. At present Taiwan's China Airlines flies to Auckland and Christchurch but via Brisbane and Melbourne. Air NZ CE Christopher Luxon said the new service was significantly quicker and more convenient than current indirect options. About 36,000 visitors a year from Taiwan already visited New Zealand. "We're confident a direct link will grow numbers further," he said. "It's part of deepening that Pacific Rim strategy and those deep connections into Asia - Taipei is a really fantastic place, it's a wealthy city."<br/>