Greg Bowker and Grant Bradley talk about their travel and experience of Chicago. The pair traveled with Air New Zealand on the inaugural flight. / Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand won’t be flying directly to Chicago until the middle of next year, affecting thousands of passengers.
Last month the airline announced at short notice it would pause the three times a week service until October, but now says its made the “tough decision” to not resume the non-stop flights until the middle of next year.
While it’s putting more capacity on Asian routes, it’s on North American routes where the carrier faces its hottest long-haul competition.
“Unfortunately, ongoing challenges with the availability of Rolls Royce Trent 1000 engines on our 787-9 aircraft means we haven’t been able to return to our Chicago route in October as expected,” Air NZ general manager long haul Scott Carr said.
“We anticipate returning to Chicago when we receive our new 787 aircraft from Boeing, currently expected in the second half of 2025.”
The first of eight new Dreamliners are due for delivery then, after delays caused by manufacturing problems at Boeing plants.
“Over the next few days, our teams will be in touch directly with customers who have bookings on our Chicago route from October to share their options, so they do not need to contact us proactively,” said Carr.
Those who booked via a travel agent should contact their agent to confirm changes to their itinerary.
“While we know this news of a further pause will be disappointing for customers with travel plans to Chicago, there are still plenty of options to travel to the city with a stopover in another US port.”
Air New Zealand says aircraft shortages linked to Rolls-Royce engine troubles mean Chicago flights are likely out of the question until mid-2025. Photo / Jaysi
The airline will return to Hobart and Seoul in October after both were paused during the New Zealand winter.
The Auckland-to-Hobart and Auckland-to-Seoul routes will be seasonal services, with Air New Zealand operating three direct flights a week to each destination over the summer months from October to March.
The airline will also be expanding its capacity on key Asian routes, with Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei all having increases in seat numbers on offer between November and March as a result of the introduction of Air New Zealand’s larger 777-300 aircraft on these routes. The increase includes a higher proportion of premium seats, giving customers more opportunities to travel with extra space and comfort.
The 777-300 aircraft also has a 30 per cent higher cargo capability than the 787 aircraft they replace, providing a boost for exporters to these markets and beyond.
Carr said premium cabins were “incredibly popular” with customers travelling to and from destinations like Singapore, Tokyo, and Taipei.
“So we’re excited to introduce increased capacity from November to give those customers more seats to book travel. We’re committed to connecting New Zealand with the world and these schedule changes mean we can continue to do that.”
Asia capacity increases for November 2024 – March 2025 (from 12 months earlier):
Tokyo: 30,000 additional seats, most of which are in Business Premier and Premium Economy
Singapore: 20,000 additional seats, 11,000 of which are in Business Premier and Premium Economy
Taipei: 5000 additional Business Premier and Premium Economy seats
Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
