Air NZ cuts flights as public turn travel shy

By JO-MARIE BROWN

Air New Zealand has cancelled seven international flights because potential passengers are now reluctant to fly.

And travel agents report a 10 to 15 per cent drop in the number of people booking overseas trips since last month's terrorist attacks on the United States.

The cancelled flights are on the daily Sydney-Los Angeles route between October 13 and 30.



Air New Zealand spokesman Mark Champion would not say how many passengers had booked but said numbers were insufficient to make the trips pay.

Affected passengers would be rebooked on the remaining Sydney-Los Angeles flights and the airline would pay for any extra accommodation costs, he said.

No other Air New Zealand international flights had been cancelled and the airline would review the route at the end of the month.

Bookings were generally low at this time of year, said Mr Champion, but the terrorist attacks had put people off travelling.



The cancellations were not connected to Air New Zealand's plans to review flight schedules after last week's $885 million Government bail-out, he said.

It emerged yesterday that the troubled national carrier might need even more state funding.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen told Australia's Channel Nine Business Sunday programme that extra money was a "possibility", but the airline was unlikely to need more than an additional $150 million.





Asked last night to clarify his remarks, Dr Cullen told the Herald that the questioning had been hypothetical and he had been asked whether the Government would look at injecting more money if the airline requested it.

"I don't believe anything extra is required," he said.

"We don't have any reason to believe we'll need to."

New Zealand travel agents say fewer people are booking long-haul overseas flights.

Budget Travel marketing manager Paul Divers said American and European destinations in particular were now not as popular.

"The drop-off is not drastic but is noticeable," he said.

"That's transferring into either cancelled bookings, postponed bookings or people looking to re-route and go to destinations closer to home."

Harvey World Travel general manager Rob Earles said international bookings had dropped by 10 to 15 per cent but the reduction was not as bad as it could have been.



Short-haul destinations such as Australia, Asia and Pacific countries would probably lure more visitors, as would regional New Zealand, he said.

Last month, the Tourism Action Group predicted a 10 per cent drop in international visitor numbers for the rest of the year as a result of the terrorist attacks.

That means 59,000 fewer people would visit New Zealand.

Full coverage: Terror in America

Pictures: Day 1 | Day 2 | Brooklyn Bridge live webcam

Video

The fatal flights

Emergency telephone numbers:

United Airlines: 0168 1800 932 8555

American Airlines: 0168 1800 245 0999

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 0800 872 111

US Embassy in Wellington (recorded info): 04 472 2068