China Airlines’ Melbourne-Auckland service officially underway

China Airlines has launched its new seasonal route from Melbourne to Auckland. Flights will operate every day except Monday and Saturday as an extension to the Taiwanese carrier’s existing A350-900 service between Taipei and Melbourne over the summer period, and are expected to add more than 3,000 weekly seats on the Melbourne-Auckland corridor. The inaugural flight, CI57, departed on its Auckland leg from Melbourne just after 2pm on Tuesday afternoon. “With the December school holidays almost upon us, families and holidaymakers will benefit from increased capacity at a time when demand is at its peak,” said Jim Parashos, chief of aviation at Melbourne Airport. “This service also creates new opportunities for New Zealanders to connect to Asia via Melbourne, opening up a gateway to Taipei and beyond. The additional flights bring much-needed competition to the trans-Tasman market, helping to drive down airfares and providing greater choice for passengers. It’s a win for consumers on both sides of the Tasman.” The flights are expected to bring Melbourne-Auckland back to 100% of pre-pandemic seat capacity, with the market currently sitting at around 75% of where it was in 2019.<br/>