Air Canada to boost capacity to New Zealand

Air Canada will boost its Auckland to Vancouver seasonal service to five times a week over the peak Northern Hemisphere winter period. The airline will start with three flights a week in November before increasing to a record five flights a week from December, marking a 20% increase in capacity on the 2022/23 season. The Canadian national carrier launched the direct service to New Zealand in 2019, before it was halted due to the pandemic, but returned last year with four flights a week during the peak period coinciding with the Canadian ski season. Air New Zealand also resumed its daily direct Vancouver service in December last year. Both airlines use the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the 13-hour flight. Air Canada general manger Australia and New Zealand Vic Naughton said the increase in frequency reflects the success of last season’s flights and the airline’s confidence that the service will once again attract record bookings. “Last year we saw extraordinarily high demand for seats, driven in part by a desire for Kiwis to visit friends and relatives in North America,” said Naughton. “We expect that demand to only intensify this year as more New Zealand travellers seize the opportunity to visit Canada’s world-class winter attractions.”<br/>