Air NZ's Manila-Auckland route delayed until further notice

Air New Zealand's planned route between Auckland and the Philippines has been deferred until further notice. The national carrier announced in April it would start direct flights to the Philippines capital Manila in December with tickets going on sale mid year, subject to government and regulatory approvals. However, Air NZ said it was deferring the December launch due to administrative delays in being able to make the new route available for sale. "It's taken longer than anticipated to fulfil all the requirements to make an application to the Filipino Government to get permission to operate this route," an Air NZ spokeswoman said. Flight Centre NZ product GM Sean Berenson​ said when the Manila service did launch it would be popular with customers. "Traditionally Thailand and Bali have been key holiday spots for New Zealanders in Asia, but we've found our customers have been looking further afield for more undiscovered holiday spots and the Philippines is one of these," Berenson said.<br/>