Air NZ and Virgin to add 40,000 Queenstown seats

Alliance partners Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia will operate an additional 40,000 seats to and from Queenstown over the peak winter period of July to September this year.

Trans-Tasman seat capacity to Queenstown will increase by more than 12% for the period as a result of up to five additional alliance services per week between Queenstown and Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Domestically, Air New Zealand will increase capacity to the region by 11% from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch by upgauging a number of existing services to larger A320 aircraft.

Cam Wallace, Air New Zealand’s Chief Sales and Commercial Officer, says the alliance partners now operate almost three times the number of trans-Tasman seats to Queenstown per year that they did five years ago.

"Queenstown has experienced exponential growth in recent years and we’re pleased that through our alliance with Virgin Australia we are able to offer further capacity into this popular tourism destination."

Virgin Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer Judith Crompton said, "We are delighted to work with our alliance partner Air New Zealand to offer these direct services to Queenstown as it continues to grow as a popular destination for Australian travellers."