Air NZ in deal with Sth African airline

Air New Zealand has signed a code share agreement with South African Airways (SAA), opening the way for a one-stop service between Auckland and Johannesburg via Perth.

From November 1, Air NZ's code share will include SAA's daily service between Perth and Johannesburg, as well as SAA's connecting domestic services to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.

SAA will code share on Air NZ's daily Auckland to Perth service and onto connecting Air NZ domestic flights to Wellington and Christchurch.

SAA will also code share onto Air NZ's trans-Tasman services between Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch to Sydney.

More than 41,000 South Africans live in this country. Of 23,000 short term arrivals from South Africa for the year to June, 87 per cent were for the purpose of visiting friends and family or a holiday.

More than 12,000 New Zealand residents visited South Africa in the same period.

- NZPA