Air NZ flies almost 16m passengers in 2023

Air New Zealand has released some of its full-year figures for 2023, saying it flew almost 16m passengers last year. In its first full year of unrestricted travel since COVID-19, New Zealand’s flag carrier transported 15.9m passengers and operated 169,835 domestic and international flights, up from 12.3m passengers and 152,000 flights in 2022. “We welcomed more than 10.6m travellers onboard our domestic flights, a notable rise from 9.4m customers in 2022,” said Air New Zealand’s chief customer and sales officer, Leanne Geraghty. “Our international routes also saw significant growth, with more than 5.3m customers compared with 2.9m in 2022.” The airline’s cargo division also transported more than 30,000 tonnes of export freight last year, including 6,900 tonnes of seafood, 5,500 tonnes of fresh produce, 2,400 tonnes of meat, 100 tonnes of pharmaceuticals and emergency relief supplies, and 16 tonnes of valuable goods. Air New Zealand last May announced a $3.5b NZD investment in fleet expansion and upgrades over the next five years, with plans to buy eight new 787-9 Dreamliners and five Airbus A320neos as well as an extra 777-300ER, plus interior overhauls for its existing 14 Dreamliners. At the time, CEO Greg Foran said this represented a “significant commitment” to New Zealand’s tourism industry. “By investing in new and retrofitted aircraft, adding more seats to our international routes, and increasing our marketing presence in key markets, we’re making it even easier for visitors to tick New Zealand off their bucket lists,” he said.<br/>