Air NZ's international recovery begins with resumption of Sydney-Los Angeles flights

Air New Zealand says its runway to recovery for international travel will begin in November with the resumption of flights from Sydney to Los Angeles via Auckland. Air New Zealand suspended the service last year when the spread of Covid-19 caused international travel to collapse. The national carrier said the flights would begin on November 5 as one flight a week before increasing to four flights a week from December 1. The announcement came days after authorities in Australia said vaccinated overseas Australians would be able to travel to Sydney from November 5 without having to enter managed isolation and quarantine. Fares are already on sale with a one-way flight from Sydney to Los Angeles on November 5 costing A$1272. A non-stop Sydney-Los Angeles flight flying Qantas on the same day costs A$1393. The flight, serviced by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, has a three-hour transit at Auckland International Airport. All up the flight takes 18 hours. Air New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said the resumption of the flights was a major step towards the airline reopening to the world. “While there hasn’t been a day we didn’t fly, most of that flying has been keeping cargo moving around the world, so it’s incredibly exciting for us to welcome more customers back on board,” Geraghty said. Customers would need to ensure they meet United States entry requirements, including being fully vaccinated from November 8. Aviation consultant Irene King said the Air New Zealand flights would appeal to money conscious travellers who did not mind spending three hours in transit.<br/>