Flight prices to moderate as more planes start to get off the ground: Air NZ CEO

Air New Zealand's CE says more planes are on the way and with them the hope of cheaper airfares. The national carrier is facing heavy criticism over the cost of its flights, with some passenger saying prices are two- to three-times what they were pre-pandemic. CE Greg Foran said they were expecting half a dozen planes to arrive over the next seven months. With more planes, prices would start to moderate, he said. Foran said: "We are still doing everything that we can to bring capacity back as quickly as we can in also ensuring that our opening price points are there and available for customers." Domestic travel ticket costs are up by 20% pre-Covid while international flight tickets costs are up by 50% from pre-Covid days, Foran said. RNZ has reported travellers paying double or triple for airline tickets compared to pre-pandemic days.A ticket to India, which had cost less than $2000 is now priced over $4000, while a flight to UK that previously cost about $2900 now cost anywhere between $5000 to $13000. Checkpoint also reported domestic travel ticket rates of $700 for a return ticket from Auckland to Wellington, for this week.<br/>