New airlines finding favour

By CHRIS DANIELS aviation writer

The new airlines entering New Zealand are proving popular with the locals, says one of the country's largest travel retailers.

Flight Centre marketing manager Shane Parlato said ticket sales on newly arrived or soon-to-come airlines such as Emirates, Royal Brunei, Asiana and Pacific Blue were very strong, despite their newcomer status.

"People do not seem to have the level of loyalty they had to airlines in the past.

"They are definitely open to trying new airlines if the price is right."

Parlato said increased seat capacity on transtasman routes and cheaper fares meant more people flying, but there was an oversupply.

"The Auckland to Sydney route is wide open and few of the flights are full," he said.

People from other parts of New Zealand were taking advantage of the new, cheap "express" fares and flying up to Auckland.

The end of this month is rich with new airline arrivals at Auckland.

On October 27, Emirates will start flying via Brisbane to its home base in Dubai. The flight is additional to its daily services to Sydney and Melbourne.

That same day, South Korean Asiana Airlines will begin flying a 310-seat Boeing 777-200 aircraft four times a week between Seoul and Auckland .

On October 28, Royal Brunei takes up its services, four flights a week going between Auckland and Brisbane, with onward flights to Brunei.

No alcohol is served on Royal Brunei flights, but passengers can take their own onboard, and the airline promotes itself as family friendly, extending children's fares up to age 17.

These new airline arrivals, plus the extra flights and larger planes of airlines already flying to New Zealand, have Auckland International Airport predicting a 36 per cent increase in passengers this summer.