Air New Zealand goes year-round to Adelaide with a Dreamliner

An Air New Zealand Dreamliner at Auckland Airport. Photo / Grant Bradley

Air New Zealand will use its Dreamliner between Auckland and Adelaide all year round.

The aircraft was initially scheduled to operate the route three times per week over the peak period from October 26 until March 25 next year. It would have been complemented by Airbus A320 services. The Boeing 787-9 aircraft will now operate on a year-round basis bur would be supplemented by A320s in peak travel periods.

The move to the Dreamliner will increase capacity on the route by more than 30 per cent.

Air New Zealand chief revenue officer Cam Wallace said the reaction to introducing the Dreamliner on the Auckland – Adelaide route had been outstanding.

"We've seen strong demand for the premium inflight experiences available on our Dreamliner aircraft with both business premier and premium economy really resonating with customers.

Air New Zealand is pushing into the Australian market and Wallace said it was great to be able to offer South Australian customers travelling to North or South America a ''seamless premium travel experience'' from when they board in Adelaide through to the transit experience through the airline's Auckland hub and onto their long haul flight across the Pacific.

Air New Zealand has 11 Dreamliners after being the first airline in the world to take delivery of the 787-9 in 2014.

The Dreamliner aircraft are helping boost services on other Air New Zealand routes including those to Samoa, Buenos Aires and Honolulu.

Rival Qantas is about to start scheduled services with its first 787-9 between Melbourne and Los Angeles before using the aircraft on flights between Perth and London from next March.