US-New Zealand flight prices drop as airlines add services

The closure of Russian airspace and softened demand between the US and China have benefitted travelers between New Zealand and the United States, with the South Pacific country seeing record numbers of flights and Americans arriving to explore more of New Zealand. Air New Zealand's CEO, Greg Foran, recently sat down with 1News' Q+A and spoke of the airline's weakened domestic and international demand, hitting its yearly profits and record competition on flights to and from New Zealand to North America. New Zealand now welcomes more international services from the US 'Big Three' than ever before, which has seen economy class ticket prices plummet, encouraging budget-conscious travelers to snap up a bargain. Foran reiterated that the closure of Russian airspace to many international carriers has seen particular routes become unprofitable as they are diverted around Russia, so carriers are now looking elsewhere. Additionally, China has been relatively slow at reissuing new passports to its citizens, and demand is weak between two of the largest economies in the world. Historically, up to 700 flights a week would connect the US and China; this is currently sitting at 48. What this means for carriers is that they have available aircraft, and planes don't make money sitting on the ground. With this, airlines are looking at new and alternative markets for revenue. For the Southern Hemisphere summer, this saw a flurry of extra capacity to Aotearoa (NZ), with United Airlines launching its seasonal direct route from San Francisco to Christchurch, a first for the South Island, alongside Delta's and United's launch from Los Angeles, and American Airlines from both Dallas and Los Angeles, both direct to Auckland (both currently seasonal). As Foran noted, the Angeles to Auckland market is now saturated with up to 28 weekly flights, which historically had around 14-16 services.<br/>